The Daily Positives

[fc2821]

   MY DAILY PSOTIVES:
     Got to spend the day with my grandsons, ages 3 and 20 months.  They are a blast.  The little one's word for today was "truck".  Must have heard him say it 30 times, but that is ok.  He is fascinated by trucks, any kind. 
      My wife came home from the hospital with her new knee!  So far so good, she is getting around slowly but surely.

[natnnnat]

fc2821:  hope your wife takes it easy and recovers quickly.
My DH is starting to get about the house a bit more briskly, in a stiff legged fashion.  He still cant bend it much.   Yesterday I took him for an outing in the car, to get his head in some fresh air after 5 days inside.  Today he wants another outing, so we're planning to go down the M5 into Sydney city, to check out the scene, drive slowly about the main streets like the young rev heads in hotted cars, and go down to Mrs Macquaries' chair, from which you can see the opera house and the bridge from the car windows.  Should be fun!

[jbeany]

Every last knickknack in the pole barn at my gram's house is tagged and ready for the estate sale.  The 3 car garage is arranged in narrow but walkable rows, with most things already laid out to be tagged.  Another day or two at the most and it should all be ready.  Whew!

We accepted a verbal offer on gram's house yesterday, too!     If all goes smoothly, we should have it closed in a month, which leaves me  plenty of time to find an apartment, pack and move myself to be ready for school on August 30. 

August 27 will be my one year kidney-versary, so I'm planning an apartment warming/transplant/back to school party.     Party at beany's, everyone!

[kitkatz]

I would come to your party if I could, JB!

My 24 year oldest daughter is coming to live at home.  I have a friend who moved into the spare bedroom, so we get to clean out Victor's gun room. Danielle will get that bedroom. I have new sheets and comforter for her bed and new curtains to put into her room. Hurray. She has been in a difficult situation for the past few years!

[jbeany]

The good news for the day - the estate sale is done.  Whew!  We made almost $1800 on junk and clutter.  Bad news is by the time we subtracted the cost of our lost wages for time we took off work to set it up, the cost of gas for multiple road trips, the cost of the teenage kids we hired to help us haul everything out to the pole barn and garage, and the cost of advertising it, we were in negative numbers!  We should have just called the thrift store to send a truck once a day to pick up things as we sorted them out from the junk we pitched immediately in the dumpster as we were taking it out of the house.  Ah, well.  We had to sort anyhow, to see if there was anything we actually wanted in the heaps of useless knickknacks and other hoarded junk.  The house is empty and ready for the new owners.  Best of all, I don't have to leave the house tomorrow!

[cariad]

My kids both started up their skating lessons yesterday. Liot has been asking to learn skating, in essence, since birth. Aidan took a basic course last year, but has no other experience. Aidan is now taking skating for hockey players (his Welsh cousin is semi-pro and will probably go pro in the near future). Liot is taking a basic class for 4-5 year-olds. He is most likely the youngest there, as he just turned 4. We have a gorgeous rink in town where Olympic speed skaters train, and Gwyn loves that it is always 55 degrees in there (Just like summer in Wales! he loves to cry out). I was terrified watching them, especially Liot. The poor boy thought he was just going to get on there and skate, so he kept trying to imitate the skating movements and he looked like one of those cartoons where they try to run but their feet just keep spinning in place, and then he would fall over. He did catch on quickly, though, and I was so impressed with his smiley attitude. Aidan had an attack of nerves before his class, and then once he was out there, it all came back to him and he did so well, even skating backward which I could never manage.

Anyhow, I had a ball talking to another mom and watching our kids stumble around out there. I cannot wait to see how they improve over the next six weeks. Oh, and they both do swimming on the weekends, and Liot is so proud of himself. He told Gwyn, "This is real swimming." Aidan is over his fear of the deep end and now says that it's his favorite part of the lessons.

[MooseMom]

We're going on holiday for five days from Friday!  Each year we go to Michigan, usually Petoskey, and stay for a week.  This year, I was very reluctant to make any plans because I could just feel it in my bones that it was not going to be a good year, and it hasn't been.  But this year, my husband turns 50, and I wanted to do something special for him, so 4 months ago, I took a leap of faith and made reservations for 5 nights at a posh B&B in Saugatuck in July.  I figured that if I got accepted onto the transplant waiting list and a kidney became miraculously available, the drive from Saugatuck is only half of that from Petoskey.  And I was hoping that I would not yet be on dialysis.  I was careful to check their cancellation policy!  So, now that it is four months later, I am almost on the list, and I am not on D yet, so hopefully we will still get to go.  The great unknown factor is the health of my mother down in Houston.  I've already spent 10 days down there, and I will go back next month, but I really didn't want to have to cancel this holiday because it's my husband's birthday present; he has been through the wars with me throughout this kidney krap.  I know there must have been times when he thought he was married to a raving lunatic, but he has stayed true and deserves a birthday reward.

[Des]

I am alive.

Thats it for now.

[galvo]

That's not too bad, Des.

[cariad]

Had a great day today. One of my fave restaurants was on Groupon, so I paid $20 for a $40 voucher to eat there. Gwyn and I went to Costco and found an amazing deal on bunk beds for the boys. A really beautiful twin-over-full set which is important to us because my older son has a luxurious full bed with top-of-the-line mattress, and I wanted to be able to keep his mattress and all of his bedding. My younger son has been sleeping on the trundle for over a year. He doesn't mind, but it does not fit in the room well- it is blocking one of their closet doors. Now we can eliminate that problem, keep both of their mattresses, and sell the bed and trundle without the mattresses as a set on Craigslist. Since it is PBK (Potter Barn Kids) it will sell in moments if we price it correctly. We also have cheap bunk beds in the basement that have barely been used. I hate those beds!!! I think because they look nice and we have two (cheap) mattresses that we can sell with them, we should get close to what we paid for them. (One of the mattresses is still in plastic.) If we cannot, we'll pick a charity that we want to support and donate it and write it off our tax. Selling these items will get us much more than what we paid for the bunk beds today. Oh, yes, we know how best to work the system.

I also contacted my uncle, who is rather a Big Deal locally, to ask for recommendations for people to contact about helping my sons' school with some crucial fundraising. My uncle is so amazingly sweet. I expected him to just give me a few names, or say he did not think it would work out (which he did kind of say, but he was only being honest and realistic). Instead, he has offered to meet with the school director to ask questions, get a better idea of what their situation is, and then make recommendations. I so hope this helps the school. This is the place that was an utter miracle for us all throughout the transplant.

[jbeany]

It took me less than a day to find and rent a great apartment in a great location.  I had allotted all weekend for apartment hunting, and then took the first one I saw.  I started looking at 5 pm on Thursday and had the paperwork done and approved by 11 on Friday morning.  The internet is a wonderful thing, isn't it?  I did all my hunting online before I even drove into town.  Between the apartment review sites and the local police reports, it's really quick to narrow things down!  With a floor plan in hand, I spent the rest of Friday afternoon scoping out new furniture.  (Nothing like shopping in Michigan's furniture capital for good deals!  I'm going to Davenport U - and yes, that's exactly like the couch.  It's where the name came from.)  Some of my ancient hand-me-downs are not making the move with me.  I'd have taken my bed, but it's a king size, which is about 6'-6" square.  My "master" bedroom is only 8x8 when you leave a pathway to the hallway, closet and bathroom doors.  So I'm ditching the bed ex-hubby and I bought with our wedding gift money.  Maybe getting rid of it will improve my feng shui, or karma, or whatever!

My school paper work is nearly done as well - just one more online confirmation coming my way to see what my scholarship total will be this semester, and then I can confirm enrollment and pay my tuition bill.  I bought my books already, so I can get a jump start on my legal classes, at least.  The computer course for paralegals can wait until I'm on the campus computers, with more computing power than my antique PC.  The good news from my advisor is that there are currently more internship positions than there are students, so when I've taken enough courses this fall to be sure of what area of the law I want to specialize in, they will start setting up my internship for next summer.  I get to pick whatever specialty I'd like - they have enough openings to suit everyone.

I'm ready!  Too bad the apartment isn't empty for a month!  Ah, well, more time to pack and sort here....

[natnnnat]

  I'm loving hearing these updates about your steady progression from  one life to another.  This is so exciting and inspirational Ms Beany.   

[kitkatz]

Miss JB Good luck!

[jbeany]

One month from my one year kidneyversary, and my creatinine is a lovely 1.0!  My kidney doc appointment was absolutely, wonderfully boring.  I love it!

[MooseMom]

When my mother passed away a few weeks ago, going through old photographs brought back many memories of my childhood.  There was one friend in particular...she was my best friend when I was 4 or 5 years old.  I have seen her only once in 20 years, and that was at my dad's funeral in 2002.  So tonight I got the idea of trying to find her, assuming she still lived in Houston.  I did find her address online, but no phone number.  And then I remembered her email address....from 20 years ago.  I didn't think it could possibly be her current address, but I decided to try it anyway, just to see what might happen.  Two hours later, I got a reply from her!  I couldn't believe it.  It has made me very happy.

[Dianejt]

Took Frank down to the tennis courts to watch his buddies play tennis. The group has been meeting on Sunday mornings for 30 years. He was so happy!

[Jean]

Diane, I am happy that you found something to make Frank ( and therefor, you )
happy!!!! Good job.

[natnnnat]

Dianne:  That's a good way to cheer him up, good thinking!
Daily positive:  went to see MIL for tea (= evening meal).  She's started radiation therapy for cancer, and has been taking it badly, not keeping anything "down".  But tonight, she looked brighter, was up and dressed, and even managed to eat little bits of this and that.  Including some of Gregory's birthday cake!  Yay!

[jbeany]

My grandmother's house was sold on Thursday.  I moved on Friday.  It's Tuesday, and life is finally calm again! My new apartment is lovely and spacious.  My cat has settled in nicely, and likes sitting on the balcony overlooking the downstairs neighbor's bird feeders.  I'm almost done unpacking - only books and knickknacks left to put in place, and pictures to hang on the walls.  The place even comes with its own garage with a remote, which is going to be fabulous for Michigan winters.  I've lost a couple of pounds since I moved in, thanks to a thousand trips up and down the stairs.  Now all I have to think about is planning my kidneyversary party for Friday, and getting a head start on the first chapters of my textbooks for school on Monday.

Life is good.

[paris]

So many good things happening.

Diane, glad you could take Frank to the tennis courts.   

Natnnnat,  Glad your MIL enjoyed her tea and could eat a little something.

Jbeany,  You have had quite a year, but this seems to be the new beginning you have been waiting for.  Your apartment sounds perfect for you.   I can hardly believe it has almost been a year.   You deserve to party big time!   

[Dianejt]

Franks & my primary care Doctor husband & wife teams last day of practice here in Massachusetts was today. I got a call from the head Nurse of the Hospice program asking who was Franks primary now that Dr Russell was leaving. I never bothered to get him a new one as we have been dealing with the Doctors in the city for all of Franks renal problems. We never use our small time hospital where we live (they do not even have a dialysis machine) we always go into the Big city hospital with all our specialist.

I call the doctors who are in the same office as our old one & asked to have one of them be his primary. Sorry the receptionist says, they are not taking any new patients. I can send you a list of doctors in the area who are. So I deceided that since what we are doing is dealing with pain management at this point I would call an oncolygist.

Well whoever I got on the phone was wonderful. I told her the situation & she told me they could not be a primary but she wanted to make a couple calls & would get back to me. 10 minute later she called to say that the Doctor in the origalnal practice woulod take him on. She had him talk to that doctor &  explain the situation. This doctoor also happens to be my Dads doctor & I just love him. He is very good to my Dad.
So a very good thing happend in our house today.

[galvo]

Dianejt, a good result.

[Dianejt]

'Frank went 9 1/2 hours in between pain med (we started a new one yesterday) last night. He slept 8 hours & I even slept 7 straight hours.

[cariad]

I've been having a marvelous time with the family. Today's adventure was a Major League Baseball game. We bought the kids the hot dog plate, which came with a baseball card. My younger son received some baseball player from Seattle, to which he exclaimed "That's my favorite guy!" My sports obsessed son could have watched all day, but the younger one was getting bored. We almost left early, but the game actually became exciting in the late innings. After the game, they let all the children run the bases - so we queued up in this enormous line, but it moved quickly once they started. Only the kids are supposed to be able to go, but Gwyn held Liot's hand. The woman said "He's old enough to go on his own" and I said "No, he really isn't." and she let them both by. Liot still does not get baseball, and he would have headed straight for the grass and there would have been tears and screaming when they tried to stop him, so Gwyn did them a tremendous service. Aidan rounded those bases like a pro! I've never been on an MLB diamond before, so that was a cool perspective.