18 February 2010

Wow, it has been a long time...

So, as usual, I have left my little blog to vanquish all by itself here in cyberspace. I have found that I am posting little semi-daily tidbits to FaceBook, yet I still cannot bring myself to post "the big stuff" there. I will give you a summary of the last few months.

In November I went up to NJ and cleaned out my parents' home with the amazing help of D, D, D, C, and G. Thank you SO much to you all for your help. In the space of a mere 5 days, we cleared out the house and two out buildings, had the movers in to pack, and got it ready to sell. Truly an amazing feat if you saw how much stuff my parents had, and how much junk my dad had accumulated (he's a packrat, made worse by the Alzheimer's). I even managed to sell it before we listed it! We got a decent price, not the greatest, but a good price considering it would not longer have to sit there vacant. We closed on 12/31. Yay! Big task taken care of! Now most of my folks' affairs up North are taken care of.

We had a quiet Christmas here in Houston. My Mom and I went up to Assisted Living to see my Dad and then made Sauerbraten at my house and opened presents. SHG was in Florida, so Teddy was here and so were my pups, so it was a full house!

In January my Dad had a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), aka a mini-stroke. This is a mild stroke whose effects reverse themselves in the space of 24 hours. When he got to the hospital they realized he had mild pneumonia as well. He was in the hospital for a week and we went up there every day. He lost his balance and could not longer walk or sit up straight without help (even with his walker), so now he is in a skilled care facility (aka a nursing home) to recuperate and do extensive physical therapy. He is doing well and should be going back to Assisted Living where was before the TIA next week or so. So things are looking up there.

Mom is still adjusting to living on her own, pretty cranky at times, but if I was her I would be cranky, too. :) Her arthritis is pretty bad with our highly changeable winter weather down here.

Me, I am doing OK. Job hunt still sucks. *sigh*