It's been awhile...no excuses, really. Just trucking along in my daily routine. All is well.
I took both cats to the vet last week. Chloe is accepting her renal diet and medicine. Her appetite is great and she actually gained a little weight which, according to the vet, means her kidneys are functioning well. Yeah! Fuzzball had his annual check up. The worst part of the whole experience was the half hour it took us to get him in the carrier. If he only knew that would be the easiest part. :)
My dad's employer closed its doors unexpectedly 2 weeks ago. The very next day, he and another of his coworkers were handed jobs at another transportation company, Nationwide Trucking. A huge bonus is that they were able to open a satellite location in Mundelein, so my dad's commute is 7 minutes. The other guy also lives in Mundelein. I'm thankful for this happy ending.
Dave continues to work from home 4 days/week. This set up has allowed him to become very good at his new xbox game, Burnout Paradise.
Michele, thanks again for planning Chris's party around my work schedule. Dave and I are looking forward to seeing everyone. Let me know if we can bring anything.
It's exciting to hear of Gram coming home next week. I bet she's delighted. I, too, think she will need a caregiver, maybe a 24/7??? Peggy, good luck with the caregiver discussions. Do you think Gram is strong enough to attend Chris's party? Dave and I were planning on visiting her that morning, so let us know.
Dave purchased a generator which will be delivered in the next few days. I'm looking forward to the additional piece of mind. Now we should be set.
We went to the DMV today. I had to renew my license and Dave had to renew his state ID. The new licenses and IDs are very flashy.
J&B, I thoroughly enjoy checking out Gavin's blog. He's growing so fast and is so strong! He's adorable. I wish I knew when Dave and I can come out, but with him starting at HSBC, we have no idea when that will be. :(
That's all for now...
Love,
Melissa
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Diamonds
I've been hearing and reading about a class action settlement for folks who may have purchased diamond jewelry, and I think that there are three of you who did so within the allotted time frame. For further info, go to www.diamondsclassaction.com. Should be worth your while.
I heard from Dawn Hach last evening. We haven't spoken for a very long time. She sends her best wishes to all of you. Her husband Tom is still working in downtown Chicago and commuting from the house in Bensenville, but is going to be opening a new salon in Naperville by next summer, probably out south along Route 59.
D.J. is going to stop by tomorrow on his way home from work to help Pop bring down the TV from our bedroom to put on top of the antique TV in the family room for the Souper Bowl. That thing is really heavy, and Pop has been seeing Dr. Fay twice a week for over a month, so I'm grateful to D.J. for his help. Thanks also to Michele, Chris and Sami for allowing their Dad to get home even later than usual.
Had a meeting at the Westbury today, and the plan is for Gram to return to Devonshire next Wednesday the 6th of Feb. I sure don't feel like she's ready, but perhaps she can make great strides in the next week. My feeling is that she should move from 348 to a different apartment on the fifth floor, where they have assisted living. She's adamant, however, and you all know how she can be. Determination can take her a long way, but I think she lacks the physical strength to succeed. I hope I'm wrong!
Pop has gone bowling this evening. Our temperature is plummeting from near 50 today, down to below zero by morning, with snow and fierce wind and wind chills. This info is for the Utah folks, since the rest of you are living this.
Gotta go continue to clean the basement. Love to you all, and good luck with the diamond thing. The amount of the rebate will be determined by the number of applicants - the fewer there are, the bigger the rebate.
Mom
I heard from Dawn Hach last evening. We haven't spoken for a very long time. She sends her best wishes to all of you. Her husband Tom is still working in downtown Chicago and commuting from the house in Bensenville, but is going to be opening a new salon in Naperville by next summer, probably out south along Route 59.
D.J. is going to stop by tomorrow on his way home from work to help Pop bring down the TV from our bedroom to put on top of the antique TV in the family room for the Souper Bowl. That thing is really heavy, and Pop has been seeing Dr. Fay twice a week for over a month, so I'm grateful to D.J. for his help. Thanks also to Michele, Chris and Sami for allowing their Dad to get home even later than usual.
Had a meeting at the Westbury today, and the plan is for Gram to return to Devonshire next Wednesday the 6th of Feb. I sure don't feel like she's ready, but perhaps she can make great strides in the next week. My feeling is that she should move from 348 to a different apartment on the fifth floor, where they have assisted living. She's adamant, however, and you all know how she can be. Determination can take her a long way, but I think she lacks the physical strength to succeed. I hope I'm wrong!
Pop has gone bowling this evening. Our temperature is plummeting from near 50 today, down to below zero by morning, with snow and fierce wind and wind chills. This info is for the Utah folks, since the rest of you are living this.
Gotta go continue to clean the basement. Love to you all, and good luck with the diamond thing. The amount of the rebate will be determined by the number of applicants - the fewer there are, the bigger the rebate.
Mom
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Mary Zat
Just to let you know that Mary Zat died this morning. Gram got a call from Rob this afternoon. She never regained consciousness while in the hospital, which the doctors said was good because she would have been gasping for air, between the pneumonia and the collapsed lung. The whole family was up there last evening, but she wasn't aware. They'll have a memorial service in Minnesota and then a funeral Mass in Georgia, where she will be buried with Hank. She was a very nice lady. Hope you'll say a prayer for her.
Mom
Mom
Monday, January 21, 2008
Update
Happy Monday, family. We made it through the worst of the cold, although it was much worse in Minnesota. Kinda' confirms my decision not to attempt a trip up there for Mary and Joseph's wedding next weekend. Meanwhile, Gram just found out from Uncle Bob that Mary Zat is in the hospital. Last Tuesday he came home from work and found her sitting in a chair, unresponsive. He got a neighbor to help him get her into her wheelchair and then they called 911. She has apparently had a massive stroke, and they have diagnosed a number of other things, such as pneumonia, a collapsed lung and a blood infection. She doesn't know or recognize anyone and she's not expected to survive all this. It would probably be a blessing if God were to take her. It's unfortunate that this is happening at the same time as Mary's wedding.
Gram's leg has returned to it's normal size for the most part. There are still a couple of areas that are hard and painful, one above the knee and the other alongside the hip incision. They have begun to include that leg in her therapy, and they have her doing minimal weight bearing and motion exercises with the right leg. Today she has the misfortune of having to go to the hospital for a CT scan. She'll have to go in the wheelchair by ambulance. Not the best weather, but the doctor(s) want to see what changes have taken place since her previous scans. Julie, she received the pictures you mailed to her and was very pleased to see an updated Gavin.
Pop has been struggling with sciatica for the past few weeks. He's had a CT scan and also an MRI last week. Nothing too definitive - just wear and tear and aging for the most part. He's still seeing Dr. Fay twice a week. Now he also is fighting a cold and cough - he sounded like a walrus for a couple of days, but that's easing up. Needless to say, he's still going to work and bowling and working on puzzles.
Less than 2 weeks until the Souper Bowl. At least we now know the teams that will be playing. I was kinda' rooting for the Packers, especially since the Bears beat them twice. Don't know how those players performed at all when it was that cold. I was expecting the football to shatter. I need to focus on house cleaning now, as well as deciding on which soups to make. I'm enjoying my reduced work schedule, but going to Westbury every day is sometimes worse than going to work. My foot has been giving me quite a bit of trouble, so it's making me lazy. I want to keep sitting down, and that ruins productivity ;-)
I'm wondering how Sami's first gymnastics class went. Sure would like to hear more from the North Aurora contingent.
Time to shower, dress and make breakfast. Love to you all
Mom
Gram's leg has returned to it's normal size for the most part. There are still a couple of areas that are hard and painful, one above the knee and the other alongside the hip incision. They have begun to include that leg in her therapy, and they have her doing minimal weight bearing and motion exercises with the right leg. Today she has the misfortune of having to go to the hospital for a CT scan. She'll have to go in the wheelchair by ambulance. Not the best weather, but the doctor(s) want to see what changes have taken place since her previous scans. Julie, she received the pictures you mailed to her and was very pleased to see an updated Gavin.
Pop has been struggling with sciatica for the past few weeks. He's had a CT scan and also an MRI last week. Nothing too definitive - just wear and tear and aging for the most part. He's still seeing Dr. Fay twice a week. Now he also is fighting a cold and cough - he sounded like a walrus for a couple of days, but that's easing up. Needless to say, he's still going to work and bowling and working on puzzles.
Less than 2 weeks until the Souper Bowl. At least we now know the teams that will be playing. I was kinda' rooting for the Packers, especially since the Bears beat them twice. Don't know how those players performed at all when it was that cold. I was expecting the football to shatter. I need to focus on house cleaning now, as well as deciding on which soups to make. I'm enjoying my reduced work schedule, but going to Westbury every day is sometimes worse than going to work. My foot has been giving me quite a bit of trouble, so it's making me lazy. I want to keep sitting down, and that ruins productivity ;-)
I'm wondering how Sami's first gymnastics class went. Sure would like to hear more from the North Aurora contingent.
Time to shower, dress and make breakfast. Love to you all
Mom
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Get a job?
Hi everyone,
It's been quite some time but I've been pretty busy. The transition to Seattle of my responsibilities is coming to an end as well as my employment with WaMu (2/29). I had been working on my resume for about a week as I found the standard for someone with my experience is two pages (yikes). Trying to keep someone interested in just one page is difficult.
My goal was to have my resume done by the end of the year. I missed that by a couple days but hit the internet, recruiters, Discover Card Services and HSBC as soon as it was done. I bought a new suit last week because my old pants didn't fit :( and I had already lined up interviews with HSBC and two recruiting firms for Tuesday.
With my new suit, I was a traveling salesman, selling a piece of DMW to any suitable buyer. As luck would have it, (that and a recommendation from my former boss that now works at HSBC) a day later I got an offer for the HSBC Financial Accounting Manager position!! Unbelievable really, as I only started looking a week ago. I prayed in thanks to God for blessing me (I think maybe Grandma Dorothy is watching over us) and also thanked Mark Roscoe, my old boss for his reference.
The HSBC headquarters is moving into a new building in Mettawa about a mile away from my old office in Vernon Hills but just off of 94. If you're ever driving to Wisconsin, you can see it on the highway. I start 3/3. I tried to negotiate a week off but they need me to start ASAP. Oh well, they do give me 23 days vacation and 10 holidays, 4 of which are floaters and they demand that 2 back-to-back weeks be taken annually without contact via phone or email!
That's all for now, I didn't want anyone to worry about my being out of a job any longer than they have. Just pray that nothing happens to reverse this good fortune.
With the job search over, maybe I will finally have time to tackle that puzzle!
Love Dave
Puzzled
We finally finished it! Took a bit longer this year for some reason ;).
So how the heck is everyone, anyway?? I got a nice e-mail from Chris & Sami (Michele) earlier in the month, so I got to read about their Christmas and New Year's Eve. How are you liking your Wii? Dave, do you have a Wii yet? I haven't even seen one let alone played with one.
Mom and Pop, Gavin received his first shipment of Dr. Seuss books from Scholastic on Monday. Thanks so much! Brandon and I are probably way more excited about reading them than he is, but I'm sure all that will change...
Love to all!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
pretty amaryllis
This is the picture I promised you yesterday - I think. Pop took the photo and is making me post this.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Happy weekend!
Greetings to you all. I'll start by saying that Julie's amaryllis is gorgeous, but now mine is also blooming. It's not red but white with delicate pink shading. If I knew how to take a picture and post it, I would. Perhaps Pop can do it for me.
We went to see a movie this afternoon. The Bucket List. Cute, heartwarming. The critics weren't crazy about it - too cliche - but Pop and I enjoyed it. Perhaps now that I'm working less we can see movies more often.
We've sent out some email invitations to the Souper Bowl party - as you know. Now we need to distribute the neighborhood invites and mail a couple of others to people who are living in the dark ages without internet access.
Gram is going along pretty well. She hates therapy - same old same old - but it's a necessary evil. Perhaps by the middle of next week they will be able to involve her right leg in the therapy. Meanwhile, I know she'd appreciate phone calls 1-630-353-5710. If she doesn't answer it means she's in therapy. She really enjoyed Dave and Melissa's surprise visit last Saturday.
I finally got a letter from Social Security, and my payments are scheduled to begin on the second Wednesday of February. Apparently there's a one month lag. Work continues on the dental crown. The cost went up another $325 because the had to build up the tooth surface and use pins in order to have enough surface to attach the crown. Supposedly. Nobody warned me that so many of my parts would start wearing out. Maybe they did, but I wasn't listening.
I finally packed away the Christmas decorations yesterday. Tomorrow I shall do the same with Gram's. The city finally got around to collecting the leaves that have been in the streets for the past 2 months. Winter came before they were ready and the snowplows made a royal mess of the leaves. Yesterday they came through the neighborhood with a giant front end loader and dump trucks to cart away the wet mess.
The crock pot is working on making our chili for dinner. On Saturday we're going out to dinner with Lynn and Phil Ritchey to a place in Wheaton called Adelle's that was reviewed favorably on Channel 11.
Hope everyone has a good weekend. What will you be up to??
Mom
We went to see a movie this afternoon. The Bucket List. Cute, heartwarming. The critics weren't crazy about it - too cliche - but Pop and I enjoyed it. Perhaps now that I'm working less we can see movies more often.
We've sent out some email invitations to the Souper Bowl party - as you know. Now we need to distribute the neighborhood invites and mail a couple of others to people who are living in the dark ages without internet access.
Gram is going along pretty well. She hates therapy - same old same old - but it's a necessary evil. Perhaps by the middle of next week they will be able to involve her right leg in the therapy. Meanwhile, I know she'd appreciate phone calls 1-630-353-5710. If she doesn't answer it means she's in therapy. She really enjoyed Dave and Melissa's surprise visit last Saturday.
I finally got a letter from Social Security, and my payments are scheduled to begin on the second Wednesday of February. Apparently there's a one month lag. Work continues on the dental crown. The cost went up another $325 because the had to build up the tooth surface and use pins in order to have enough surface to attach the crown. Supposedly. Nobody warned me that so many of my parts would start wearing out. Maybe they did, but I wasn't listening.
I finally packed away the Christmas decorations yesterday. Tomorrow I shall do the same with Gram's. The city finally got around to collecting the leaves that have been in the streets for the past 2 months. Winter came before they were ready and the snowplows made a royal mess of the leaves. Yesterday they came through the neighborhood with a giant front end loader and dump trucks to cart away the wet mess.
The crock pot is working on making our chili for dinner. On Saturday we're going out to dinner with Lynn and Phil Ritchey to a place in Wheaton called Adelle's that was reviewed favorably on Channel 11.
Hope everyone has a good weekend. What will you be up to??
Mom
Monday, January 7, 2008
Checking in
Hello, family! While you're baking in 60-degree weather in Illinois we're enjoying a battery of snowstorms. We've gotten about 8 inches at our house in the past several days with more on the way. Brandon's been doing more shoveling than his poor ol' back can handle! I got out there this morning and did a little while Brandon's mom was still here watching Gavin. She came up on Saturday afternoon and stayed the night so she could babysit for us on Sunday while we went boarding. We were gone for 6 whole hours! The snow at Beaver was great and Gavin and Grandma Debby enjoyed each others' company. It snowed the entire day, so Debby stayed the night again last night, opting to drive home this morning when the roads would be better. The picture is of the amaryllis that Pop brought out to us in early December. It's in full gorgeous bloom right now. I'll be sad when it poops out but it's been lots of fun watching it grow. Thanks again, Pop!
Friday, January 4, 2008
PEEP PEEP !!!
Here I am Peeping Don. No that doesn't sound to good so maybe just the Peeper. Not to good either. So I guess I'll just go by Pop. Hope everybody had a safe and sane New Years Eve. Mom and I spent a quiet evening at home and made it until midnight in New York. Actually I did. I had to wake mom to say Happy New Year. We then went up to bed and turned the TV on. It was a struggle but I made it for Chicago. Mom didn't. I have to say the TV coverage of the Chicago event was pretty lame.
I have been having back trouble for over a month now and it has gotten pretty painful especially at night. I have been going to Dr. Fay and he sent me for Xrays but they only showed minor degeneration due to age. Nothing that would cause my pain. Wednesday night it was so bad I couldn't sleep at all even with mega doses of Ibuprofin. I saw him again yesterday AM and he pretzeled me and said if I wasn't substantially better by Monday he wants me to get an MRI. The rest of the day and night I was able to go without pain killers. Hopefully everything will be back to normal by Monday.
I have been working on the Christmas cards gluing them to the wood, cutting around the perimeter and giving them two coats of lacquer. Now they need to cure for about a week and then I can start making the puzzles. Dave & Melissa, I hope yours turns out. It was a bear to glue together. I only have forty four to do this year.
LOVE you all
Pop
Here I am Peeping Don. No that doesn't sound to good so maybe just the Peeper. Not to good either. So I guess I'll just go by Pop. Hope everybody had a safe and sane New Years Eve. Mom and I spent a quiet evening at home and made it until midnight in New York. Actually I did. I had to wake mom to say Happy New Year. We then went up to bed and turned the TV on. It was a struggle but I made it for Chicago. Mom didn't. I have to say the TV coverage of the Chicago event was pretty lame.
I have been having back trouble for over a month now and it has gotten pretty painful especially at night. I have been going to Dr. Fay and he sent me for Xrays but they only showed minor degeneration due to age. Nothing that would cause my pain. Wednesday night it was so bad I couldn't sleep at all even with mega doses of Ibuprofin. I saw him again yesterday AM and he pretzeled me and said if I wasn't substantially better by Monday he wants me to get an MRI. The rest of the day and night I was able to go without pain killers. Hopefully everything will be back to normal by Monday.
I have been working on the Christmas cards gluing them to the wood, cutting around the perimeter and giving them two coats of lacquer. Now they need to cure for about a week and then I can start making the puzzles. Dave & Melissa, I hope yours turns out. It was a bear to glue together. I only have forty four to do this year.
LOVE you all
Pop
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Hello again
Gram seems to be doing pretty well at the Westbury - much better than I anticipated at least. Her leg still is swollen and discolored, and she's determined not to put any weight on it as yet. She spoke to a doctor there this morning who indicated that the hemorrhaging is likely due to the cancer (lymphoma) although they still don't think the lymphoma is active. At any rate, here is her phone number for anyone who wants to give her a hello: 1-630-353-5710.
Did anyone notice that it wasn't completely dark at 5 PM today? The days are getting longer. Can spring be far behind?
How about a peep from someone besides myself?!
Mom
Did anyone notice that it wasn't completely dark at 5 PM today? The days are getting longer. Can spring be far behind?
How about a peep from someone besides myself?!
Mom
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year
Wishing you all a happy and blessed 2008.
Gram was whisked off to the Westbury yesterday afternoon. So we've left the hospital, still with no clear cut diagnosis, nor do I even know which doctor to contact who was responsible for the decision. I'll have to make a phone call or two on Wednesday. Meanwhile, I hope the nursing home will be sufficiently attentive to her, since she's not supposed to have any weight bearing on her right leg. I didn't stay there long last evening, since they hadn't even officially admitted her. They were to bring her dinner to her room. Today I'll go back and fetch the things she will need from her apartment.
We had a quiet new year's eve. I fell asleep as usual, and we just went upstairs to bed after 12. We had a beautiful - to look at - snowfall last evening and through the night. Pop is out running the snowblower and then we shall have breakfast. Temperatures are supposed to drop all day long. Pop has been having a rough time with sciatica lately, so Dr. Fay told him that he's not to shovel any snow. He had x-rays taken and there's no problem other than age related deterioration. He's not even supposed to exercise until his pain subsides. It's a wonderful life!
Time to make breakfast!
Mom
Gram was whisked off to the Westbury yesterday afternoon. So we've left the hospital, still with no clear cut diagnosis, nor do I even know which doctor to contact who was responsible for the decision. I'll have to make a phone call or two on Wednesday. Meanwhile, I hope the nursing home will be sufficiently attentive to her, since she's not supposed to have any weight bearing on her right leg. I didn't stay there long last evening, since they hadn't even officially admitted her. They were to bring her dinner to her room. Today I'll go back and fetch the things she will need from her apartment.
We had a quiet new year's eve. I fell asleep as usual, and we just went upstairs to bed after 12. We had a beautiful - to look at - snowfall last evening and through the night. Pop is out running the snowblower and then we shall have breakfast. Temperatures are supposed to drop all day long. Pop has been having a rough time with sciatica lately, so Dr. Fay told him that he's not to shovel any snow. He had x-rays taken and there's no problem other than age related deterioration. He's not even supposed to exercise until his pain subsides. It's a wonderful life!
Time to make breakfast!
Mom
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