My husband sent me a text this morning:
"apparently it is gang initiation week. heard this at school. so if you're out and about and see a random baby car seat left on the side of the road just keep driving. they apparently like to shoot whoever pulls over. just fyi."
How sick is that? I mean there are good samaritans out there going to stop to make sure that the car seat isn't an abandoned baby, or to move it out of the way, and what's going to happen? They are probably going to get shot at. It's SICK! I can't believe I live in a place that has this. It sickens me that there are people who would do that to one another. It really makes me long for my childhood where the worst thing I worried about was the elk or the bison blocking me out of the house. Or the tourists driving on the sidewalk because they aren't paying attention to the road. Now, I have to worry about living in a city where there are gangs that shoot at people who pull over. I have to worry about where I'm going to send my daughter to school; and I tell you right now that home school is looking more and more appealing!! I really wish that this wasn't happening. My rose colored glasses have been ripped away...and all I see are the cracked lenses lying abandoned on the ground.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Long time no write....whoops!
Lots and lots of things have been going on since I wrote on here last. Mostly, we've just been out of town. A lot. The good things about being out of town are that we get to see family and close friends; who are family as well. The bad part about being out of town is driving for hours and hours and hours....and sometimes not finding a hotel at the end of that. Yep. We drove from San Diego to Phoenix via L.A. (don't do that by the way...just take 8 instead!!!) When we got to Phoenix (very very late) we discovered that there were NO hotel rooms available. I'm sure if we had spent ANOTHER hour looking we might have found one, but we did check 6-8 hotels and called a few more. Seriously, there was nothing. So, after an hour of checking hotels and driving around in the dark we decided to drive the rest of the way to Flagstaff; where there was a vacancy. 2 hours later we pulled in...3 am. Oh how I loathe 3 am.
Unfortunately, my daughter seems to think that 3 am is a SUPURB time to be screaming. I'm not sure if it's from lots of over stimulus and traveling, or if it's from teething. Whichever, she's not sleeping well. Which, of course, means I am not sleeping well either. UGH! I really thought it would get better once her front teeth on top had finally come in. No such luck apparently. I've had two suggestions to move her crib into another room; which I'd love to do if we had the room for it. We don't. And one suggestion on a white noise machine. I might actually have to try that one.
On a family note my mother is just about ready to start her chemotherapy. So, by the end of July she should be all done. The countdown for that begins next Tuesday. Her radiation went alright although she was in a lot of pain by the end of it. We are all trying to keep our positive energy up to be strong for her when it gets hard. Some days that's easier than others. My grandmother is also not doing well. She's 95 this year, so it's to be expected that she's slowing down, but she doesn't want to accept the help that would make it easier for her to stay in her own home longer. I tried to set up someone to come and go grocery shopping for her and be there to take her to and from appointments, but she adamantly didn't want the services. It's sad because today she didn't have the energy to make her bed after changing the sheets. She does one thing a day whether it be an appointment, getting groceries, changing the sheets, stepping out into her garden...etc. She just doesn't have the energy to continue to do everything she used to and I know it wears on her. She hasn't gone out to really work in her garden (extensive and beautiful) since before Christmas. I know that was something she always wanted to be able to do and she has said before that when she couldn't anymore she wouldn't be happy. More than once she says she sits in her chair waiting to die. She says it with a laugh and a smile, but sometimes I wonder...how much does she want that?
Unfortunately, my daughter seems to think that 3 am is a SUPURB time to be screaming. I'm not sure if it's from lots of over stimulus and traveling, or if it's from teething. Whichever, she's not sleeping well. Which, of course, means I am not sleeping well either. UGH! I really thought it would get better once her front teeth on top had finally come in. No such luck apparently. I've had two suggestions to move her crib into another room; which I'd love to do if we had the room for it. We don't. And one suggestion on a white noise machine. I might actually have to try that one.
On a family note my mother is just about ready to start her chemotherapy. So, by the end of July she should be all done. The countdown for that begins next Tuesday. Her radiation went alright although she was in a lot of pain by the end of it. We are all trying to keep our positive energy up to be strong for her when it gets hard. Some days that's easier than others. My grandmother is also not doing well. She's 95 this year, so it's to be expected that she's slowing down, but she doesn't want to accept the help that would make it easier for her to stay in her own home longer. I tried to set up someone to come and go grocery shopping for her and be there to take her to and from appointments, but she adamantly didn't want the services. It's sad because today she didn't have the energy to make her bed after changing the sheets. She does one thing a day whether it be an appointment, getting groceries, changing the sheets, stepping out into her garden...etc. She just doesn't have the energy to continue to do everything she used to and I know it wears on her. She hasn't gone out to really work in her garden (extensive and beautiful) since before Christmas. I know that was something she always wanted to be able to do and she has said before that when she couldn't anymore she wouldn't be happy. More than once she says she sits in her chair waiting to die. She says it with a laugh and a smile, but sometimes I wonder...how much does she want that?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Musical Interlude
Tuesday my daughter and I had the most enjoyable afternoon listening to a jazz quartet practice in a garage across the street. The gentleman that owns the house has played jazz piano in the garage with it open, or partially open, before, but this time he added drums, a bass, and a sax. It was so nice to listen to them jam in the early afternoon sunshine. Very very relaxing. So much nicer than hearing the schmuck with the car. Oh yes! I'm not sure I've mentioned before but he sold his house *HAPPY DANCE* and has completely MOVED OUT!!! I'm thrilled. Just jumping for joy thrilled. Especially, since the new neighbors look to be really nice people; with a motorcycle, but we can deal with that when it comes.
I haven't written in a while; it's been a busy couple weeks. First off, my husband is job hunting again (as usual), so we've been off to job fairs and job interviews this last weekend. Hopefully, something will come of them and we can move to be closer to family. If not, at least we'll be moving across town to be closer to friends. That's the best I can say about staying here. My husband's not going to grow in the same ways as a teacher here than he would if we were to move. The populations are just very different. Here it's more about how to continuously motivate the kids to even turn in their work. Where we hope to move he would be pushed academically to grow and expand that way. It would be nice for him to be able to really 'open his teaching box' so to speak.
I asked my mother if the laundry pile ever went away. She said, "No." That wasn't very encouraging. Every time I get all caught up on laundry: folded, put away, all washed...we go on another little trip and I have to start over as soon as I get home. I hate it. I don't mind washing and folding and putting away; I hate spending my ENTIRE day doing it (or two). Oh well...I guess if I want clean clothes by Saturday I had better start some wash now. Grrr.
I haven't written in a while; it's been a busy couple weeks. First off, my husband is job hunting again (as usual), so we've been off to job fairs and job interviews this last weekend. Hopefully, something will come of them and we can move to be closer to family. If not, at least we'll be moving across town to be closer to friends. That's the best I can say about staying here. My husband's not going to grow in the same ways as a teacher here than he would if we were to move. The populations are just very different. Here it's more about how to continuously motivate the kids to even turn in their work. Where we hope to move he would be pushed academically to grow and expand that way. It would be nice for him to be able to really 'open his teaching box' so to speak.
I asked my mother if the laundry pile ever went away. She said, "No." That wasn't very encouraging. Every time I get all caught up on laundry: folded, put away, all washed...we go on another little trip and I have to start over as soon as I get home. I hate it. I don't mind washing and folding and putting away; I hate spending my ENTIRE day doing it (or two). Oh well...I guess if I want clean clothes by Saturday I had better start some wash now. Grrr.
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