He's Baaack....

Forgot to mention that Dad is finally back home. When I had seen his doctor Thursday at the hospital, he said that normally they would have released him Friday, but since it was a holiday weekend and everything would be closed if something went wrong, they were going to keep him until Tuesday. Saturday, Dad told me Monday morning, so I called the nurses on Sunday and asked if they knew. They told me they hadn't received any kind of release orders. I told Dad to let me know, but I was kind of hoping it would be later than Monday morning (since John & I had it all to ourselves for once).

Monday morning, John's mom phoned at about 9:30 asking when we were going to pick up the kids. John said "How 'bout 2:00?"

"How about 11:00?" she said.

"How about 12:00?" John counters.

"How about 11:00?" she repeats. The time is non-negotiable. Apparently Avalon didn't sleep for more than two hours at a time, so she's exhausted. Three is a challenge - she only had to deal with two growing up. XD.

So, we collected the kids, got home and I played in the front yard with them, while John worked on a project in the garage. We had planted a bunch of gladiola bulbs and a couple of dahlias last week, and were glad to see they are all coming up. Angus collected a bunch of decollate snails from one part of the planter, which I made him put back. I'm glad see they've gotten established - and I think I'm actually seeing less in the way of helix snails, which they prey on. Certainly, a couple of years ago, those little dahlia shoots wouldn't have lasted a night.

At about 4:30, Dad called and said they'd told him he could go home as soon as his 5:00 IV antibiotic treatment was finished. Some notice. So John went and picked him up at about 6:30.

I haven't bugged him about taking walks like he's supposed to because I've been doing something every evening, but tonight I will. At least up to the corner and back, any maybe around the block. I don't think he's up to doing the shopping yet. However, he pissed John off yesterday after he'd broken his tooth. He was well enough to drive himself to the doctor yesterday, but asks John, "Are you going to move my car around to the back today? The street sweeper's coming." (They ticket in my neighborhood if your car is still on the street when the sweeper comes by, once every two weeks).

And much as I'm glad to have him out of the hospital, it was nice not to have someone asking me, "Aren't you in bed yet? Don't you have to get up in the morning? Close that window - I'm cold!" etc. Sigh.

He's Baaack....

Forgot to mention that Dad is finally back home. When I had seen his doctor Thursday at the hospital, he said that normally they would have released him Friday, but since it was a holiday weekend and everything would be closed if something went wrong, they were going to keep him until Tuesday. Saturday, Dad told me Monday morning, so I called the nurses on Sunday and asked if they knew. They told me they hadn't received any kind of release orders. I told Dad to let me know, but I was kind of hoping it would be later than Monday morning (since John & I had it all to ourselves for once).

Monday morning, John's mom phoned at about 9:30 asking when we were going to pick up the kids. John said "How 'bout 2:00?"

"How about 11:00?" she said.

"How about 12:00?" John counters.

"How about 11:00?" she repeats. The time is non-negotiable. Apparently Avalon didn't sleep for more than two hours at a time, so she's exhausted. Three is a challenge - she only had to deal with two growing up. XD.

So, we collected the kids, got home and I played in the front yard with them, while John worked on a project in the garage. We had planted a bunch of gladiola bulbs and a couple of dahlias last week, and were glad to see they are all coming up. Angus collected a bunch of decollate snails from one part of the planter, which I made him put back. I'm glad see they've gotten established - and I think I'm actually seeing less in the way of helix snails, which they prey on. Certainly, a couple of years ago, those little dahlia shoots wouldn't have lasted a night.

At about 4:30, Dad called and said they'd told him he could go home as soon as his 5:00 IV antibiotic treatment was finished. Some notice. So John went and picked him up at about 6:30.

I haven't bugged him about taking walks like he's supposed to because I've been doing something every evening, but tonight I will. At least up to the corner and back, any maybe around the block. I don't think he's up to doing the shopping yet. However, he pissed John off yesterday after he'd broken his tooth. He was well enough to drive himself to the doctor yesterday, but asks John, "Are you going to move my car around to the back today? The street sweeper's coming." (They ticket in my neighborhood if your car is still on the street when the sweeper comes by, once every two weeks).

And much as I'm glad to have him out of the hospital, it was nice not to have someone asking me, "Aren't you in bed yet? Don't you have to get up in the morning? Close that window - I'm cold!" etc. Sigh.

(no subject)

My brother Dave recently told me that he was getting laid off again, and when he does, he and Mardie are going to move back to Ohio and stay with one of her brothers' family. Mardie has been out of work except for short term things for over a year now, I think. Dave thinks the job market back there is better in his field, and housing is certainly cheaper, so hopefully they'll be able to get on their feet.

But damn. We've never been able to go visit them up there in Portland, and now we don't have the chance. I was hoping that now that I'm on the Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team, there would be a meeting up there (since that's where the Pacific Fishery Management Council is based) and I could visit then.

He got the notice Tuesday and yesterday was his last day. Sounds like they'll be moving within a couple of weeks.

(no subject)

My brother Dave recently told me that he was getting laid off again, and when he does, he and Mardie are going to move back to Ohio and stay with one of her brothers' family. Mardie has been out of work except for short term things for over a year now, I think. Dave thinks the job market back there is better in his field, and housing is certainly cheaper, so hopefully they'll be able to get on their feet.

But damn. We've never been able to go visit them up there in Portland, and now we don't have the chance. I was hoping that now that I'm on the Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team, there would be a meeting up there (since that's where the Pacific Fishery Management Council is based) and I could visit then.

He got the notice Tuesday and yesterday was his last day. Sounds like they'll be moving within a couple of weeks.

(no subject)

On the new guy's T-shirt, last night at my book group:

"English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar."

Heh. Angus was invited to two birthday parties recently, and last night was the first one he'd ever been to. Nathan's parent's are both doctors, and had the party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Apparently, his entire kindergarten class, his T-ball team and his soccer team came. There were three tables full of kids, two tables full of adults, with pizza, chicken wings, and fried cheese for all. Yikes. If we ever invited that many people, I'm afraid it would have been a potluck picnic at the park. But Angus had fun. John says he's a bit confused as to the school's opinion of his socialization, because he appears to be quite the popular kid. That's a set of it's own problems.

Meanwhile, John had dropped Avalon, Gareth and I off at B&N, since I had a book group meeting at 7:00. We walked across the street to Arby's to get something to eat first, but Avalon was more interested in climbing around on the outdoor tables and Gareth too busy talking for either of them to eat, of course (I just found a bag of all the leftover french fries in my backpack and pitched them in the trash). Then back across the busy street to the bookstore, where they got to play with the trains in the children's section before the meeting.

We read Phule's Company by Robert Asprin. I enjoyed it more than Starship Troopers as it's not nearly as serious, and I liked Asprin's Myth series, (Myth Adventures, Another Fine Myth, etc.). However, I kept waiting for something to happen other than Phule's organizing and getting to know his troops. Maybe in the next book.

I let them pick out a book to read - Gareth picked one about a fire truck, and Avalon picked a "block" book of baby animals. It amused her for about 5 minutes, as the book conversation meandered back and forth from book to movies to next month's selection (which consisted of mostly we-have- to-pick-a-book-that's-in-print-or-the-store-gets-upset-but-we-won't-tell-if-you-get-it-at-a-used-bookstore for the new guys). Then she switched to drawing in one of my blank books for a little while, then the book, then something with Bear-Bear, then the Mommy-pick-me-up-but-I'm-going-to-squiggle-immediately-to-be-put-down game. But when she started the let's-run-around-the-bookcase-and-squeal-loudly game, I figured it was time to go, although everyone else told me they thought it was cute, and both of them were very well behaved. I'm sure someone else didn't think it was cute at all, but didn't say anything. We went back to the kid's section where Gareth played with the trains and I attempted to keep Avalon from pulling all the books off the shelves, until John came to pick us up.

Phew! I'm thinking running marathons might be good training for this.

(no subject)

On the new guy's T-shirt, last night at my book group:

"English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar."

Heh. Angus was invited to two birthday parties recently, and last night was the first one he'd ever been to. Nathan's parent's are both doctors, and had the party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Apparently, his entire kindergarten class, his T-ball team and his soccer team came. There were three tables full of kids, two tables full of adults, with pizza, chicken wings, and fried cheese for all. Yikes. If we ever invited that many people, I'm afraid it would have been a potluck picnic at the park. But Angus had fun. John says he's a bit confused as to the school's opinion of his socialization, because he appears to be quite the popular kid. That's a set of it's own problems.

Meanwhile, John had dropped Avalon, Gareth and I off at B&N, since I had a book group meeting at 7:00. We walked across the street to Arby's to get something to eat first, but Avalon was more interested in climbing around on the outdoor tables and Gareth too busy talking for either of them to eat, of course (I just found a bag of all the leftover french fries in my backpack and pitched them in the trash). Then back across the busy street to the bookstore, where they got to play with the trains in the children's section before the meeting.

We read Phule's Company by Robert Asprin. I enjoyed it more than Starship Troopers as it's not nearly as serious, and I liked Asprin's Myth series, (Myth Adventures, Another Fine Myth, etc.). However, I kept waiting for something to happen other than Phule's organizing and getting to know his troops. Maybe in the next book.

I let them pick out a book to read - Gareth picked one about a fire truck, and Avalon picked a "block" book of baby animals. It amused her for about 5 minutes, as the book conversation meandered back and forth from book to movies to next month's selection (which consisted of mostly we-have- to-pick-a-book-that's-in-print-or-the-store-gets-upset-but-we-won't-tell-if-you-get-it-at-a-used-bookstore for the new guys). Then she switched to drawing in one of my blank books for a little while, then the book, then something with Bear-Bear, then the Mommy-pick-me-up-but-I'm-going-to-squiggle-immediately-to-be-put-down game. But when she started the let's-run-around-the-bookcase-and-squeal-loudly game, I figured it was time to go, although everyone else told me they thought it was cute, and both of them were very well behaved. I'm sure someone else didn't think it was cute at all, but didn't say anything. We went back to the kid's section where Gareth played with the trains and I attempted to keep Avalon from pulling all the books off the shelves, until John came to pick us up.

Phew! I'm thinking running marathons might be good training for this.