Good Sunday morning sistas!
Well, my day started at 4 a.m.! Grrrr! Always seems to happen on travel days, too. So I will fight being sleepy all the long drive to Houston this afternoon.
Another joyous occasion occurred this morning when I stepped in a puddle of dog pee! UGH!
Maybe I need to just go back to bed! LOL!
I think I might have found the ideal place for us to move to yesterday afternoon. (I know--some of you are rolling your eyes right now!) But I've been giving this some thought. I definitely do NOT want to stay here in this old lake house. I love living here and I love being by the lake, but this house is too old. Something will always be going wrong and needing repairs. I need something smaller and newer. And I need something that my mom can move into as well. So I've been thinking about purchasing a duplex unit. Not just one duplex, but both units, side-by-side. That way Mom can live in one side and we can live in the other side. There won't be a lot of yard work because the HOA fees cover that. And I will always have a little income from the side I rent out. Mom will rent her side from me and that way I'll always be able to cover the property taxes and insurance and maintenance for both units.
Well, I've been looking and yesterday I drove out to Creekside, a new development on the north side of town. OMG. I fell in love with a new little neighborhood out there. It's all duplexes. It's beautiful. Some of the duplexes are completed and already leased. Others are under construction. I was able to get out and walk through a couple of them. I can really see myself living there. I can see Mom living there. We can be next door to each other, but we won't have to share a kitchen, you know? There's even a fenced back yard for the puppies.
So today I want to drive Butch by there on our way out of town. I hope he feels up to getting out of the car and walking through a couple of the units. I really want him to like it as well. And I value his input on things. He's very smart about construction and stuff. Each unit is 3 bedroom, 2 bath. It'll be plenty big enough for us to live there together. And it's brand new! No 50 year old plumbing to fix. No sagging boards. No roof to replace. I love the whole idea!
The only thing is that they're selling fast, and if I want to purchase an entire unit, I'd better get moving on it.
Today I am doing laundry and getting our clothes ready to pack. We'll be in Houston through next Friday. The damn weather is so crazy here in February. It could be warm or it could be cold. I'll have to pack clothes for both.
I told Butch that while we are in Houston these next two weeks, we are going to go buy him a suit. He started to argue with me, but I told him that if I could give in on where we are buried (he wants to be buried way the hell out in the country near the farm where he grew up), then he could give in on the suit issue. He didn't want to do it, but after a couple of minutes he saw reason and gave in. Have I mentioned before that my husband is incredibly STUBBORN? (Which is why I say that if anyone can beat the odds, he can. I've never met a more stubborn, determined human being in my life.)
Jennifer, sweetie, thank you for the warning about privacy issues on the web. Yes, I knew that one can do a name search on Google and pull up all sorts of things. I don't post specifics about things on FB much at all. I do sometimes post a little more details here, but when I say I feel private and protected here, I mean it. My family knows I belong to this site, but really, no one else does. Short of posting under a psuedonym, as some do, there's no way to truly protect yourself on the web. Unless, of course, you just don't post. But I'm not too worried about it. By the way, the post you did yesterday showed up on the google search I did this morning because you used my whole name. So let's not do that anymore. Deal?
I think I'm going to take Butch's wheelchair with us this week. I usually don't bother because there are plenty of free wheelchairs to use at MDA. But we might decide to go to the Houston Zoo or something if the weather is nice one day. I want us to be prepared.
It's time for me to give Butch his pills, so I'll close now. Love you all!
We had a nice visit with Chris and her family yesterday, although Butch got very tired towards the end and I finally just announced that I had to put him to bed.
Vickie
Vicke: you also show up on Google with just Vickie P. on page 4 of a search, and up pops an obesityhelp post of yours. Just saying...
And I did a Cymbalta check, and an old string of OH posts I did in 2012 on the Fibromyalgia Forum showed up. So yes folks, careful what you let hang out here, like old plaque on teeth, it stays on the internet.
Vickie Dear, hope you have a chance to visit the zoo with Butch, hope his and your energy levels hold up and his pain is controlled and your stay for treatments a good experience.
As to buying a double property, what does your Mum say? Remember that at her age she may not be in it long and need further placement surprisingly faster than what you think now.
Hugs, Jennifer
Thanks, Jenn! Good to know.
Well, see, that's the beauty of buying a double unit. I will always have some extra income from it. While Mom is able to live there, she will just pay me a minimal amount of rent. I'm not trying to make a profit off my mother. But when the day comes that she needs to go into assisted living or a nursing home, I'll be able to rent the other unit for a really nice amount every month. This area is prime real estate and will stay that way for a long, long time. I don't think I'll ever have any problems renting. I think it will be a good investment. Butch does, too. He's just a bit leery of moving into a duplex. He thinks it's going to be like living in an apartment. You know my country boy likes his elbow room. But he does understand we are buying something that I can live in for a long, long time. And right now, all he does is stay inside all day long anyway. He's just not able to get out and do a lot of outdoorsy things. It's very sad, really. He's not an indoors kind of guy. But it is what it is and we have to be practical.
Love you!
Vickie
on 2/1/15 1:54 am
Hi Vickie,
Please know I read the posts on OH and feel dumb chirping in. But I am doing so anyways. You are correct about Google. If I Google my real name, I can see my twitter name, etc. But this is one of the safer places to post if you don't want to share info on FB. Please know that you, Butch and your family are always in my prayers. I think buying a duplex is a splendid idea. Especially since the one you are thinking of buying is in an upscale area and is NEW. I pray for nothing but the best outcome for Butch, yourself and your family.
Take care.
Arlene
Good morning my sweet Vickie and everyone...
Vickie....oh I so hope you go with the duplex idea. That is wonderful!! Perfect for all of you!! I know it doesn't make Butch real happy, but like you said, he is inside most all the time anyway. Realistically, I think he needs to go with what will work out best in the long run. It sounds like he has. I am really surprised he went along with the suit idea. It isn't the end yet. He could need one for many other occasions yet to come.
I am thrilled you all had such a great family time together. I think of your little Benny Bop and Budder and how they are handling the changes in grandpa. I know Budder is to young to realize the changes. Benny has always been such a grandpa's boy. Haircuts and ice cream and all. Does Benny seem to be doing okay with all this? I guess it isn't my business, you know how much I love your family!!
I really hope you two get to go to the Zoo this week. Always fun to make new memories.
I love you to pieces...hug each other for me!!!
Judy are you okay??? Are you snowed in????
As for me...nothing new here. I did get out for two walks yesterday. So far so good. I walk when I can and as far as I can go. I can't stay sitting all the time. When I feel better I have to take advantage of it!
I need to go look over the Sunday paper and pass it on to the next person. I will check in again later.
Wishing everyone a beautiful day!!!
Prayers for all of our sweet OFF Family and their families.
Bundles of love and bunches of hugs.....connie d
Hi
Im at my brother's house again for the weekend. It is snowing here today and very cold. I had a pleasant week. I lost 4 lbs this week. Im happy about that.
Vicki Im sorry you didnt get the best news and will continue to pray for you.
Connie Im glad you are doing better each day.
Judy Im sorry about your ex MIL and pray that you find peace.
I guess I dont have anything else to report. I live a boring life. haha.
Prayers for everyone that need them.
Hugs,
Yvonne
Hi Vickie and my OFF family:
I'm back home in Evansville, safe from the blizzard warnings in the Chicago area. My brother says the guy down the street who shovels snow has been by a few times already today. I'm glad I left yesterday, although I didn't get to see mom as much as I wanted or anyone else. But I'm glad I got to see her new home and I feel good about the place. It's called Franciscan Courts (http://www.franciscancourt.com/), a 70-person facility of "supportive care." I was very impressed. A couple runs the place; the administrator is a registered nurse. She was very good with mom, who can get a little testy. Mom didn't seem to care one way or another ... she just wanted to make sure someone would get her out of bed, wash her, give her a shower, take her to the bathroom, etc. She had a chance to share a room with another woman, but she preferred the studio apartment. So Friday, my two brothers are moving her in. Gary already bought a bed because her queen bed wouldn't fit in there. The studio includes a kitchenette with a little refrigerator and a microwave. They have their own doctor on call, too. I'm sure it'll be different for her at first, but I hope she'll settle in and make some friends.
Vickie, the duplex sounds like a great idea. And the fact it's new is good because Butch won't have a lot of work to do. The only problem I have is HOA can be a pain in the butt (I speak from experience). But maybe this one will be OK.
Welcome to Arlene; hope you will join us often.
I still have four more days off; I plan to get the rest of the Christmas stuff down and go to the Y.
Richard messaged me yesterday and told me he's coming back. His brothers were going to kick him out Tuesday, so he got a head start and got a bus ticket. So I expect him back around Thursday.
I'm not doing a whole lot today, just recovering from the 6-hour-plus drive (took a whole lot longer because of Chicago area traffic, several stops along the way). I got home around 7:30 p.m. and just sat there in my recliner after I unpacked .... Juliette didn't want to leave my lap, just sat there and purred. I missed her, too.
Well, Super Bowl's tonight. Looking forward to actually watching the game without working at the same time.
Have a good day.
