Hodgepodge

If you read this blog, you may have noticed that I haven't posted here in over two months. The reason for this is because since moving to the farm, we have had only slow dial-up internet access. Since jgaleckas and I share this connection, there is barely enough time to check email, get news and do essentials like check investments and pay bills, etc. Time for social networking has been limited to popping on Facebook a few times a week.

But that has changed now. How you may ask? Did we get cable modem ? Nope - we are 25 miles from the nearest cable installation. DSL? We are too far from the access point and since we are in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest, the sparse population makes it a loser for a phone provider to upgrade our access point. Wireless Broadband? Naw, we are 15 miles from the nearest cell tower so we don't even get cell phone service let alone broadband. So how is it we have broadband? A dish, a satellite 22,000 miles away and a modem equals hi-speed internet -Yay!

You have probably heard that Satellite internet is a real pain but I believe it's an undeserved rap and after we have had it a while I will post on the experience.So far it is waaaay better than dial-up.

( Banal life details after cut )

Now that we have broadband I plan to be back on LJ regularly and enlighten you with details of life on the farm.

Most days we fall into a routine at casa de Steff and Janice. Mornings reading the news on the web and email, Wii fit and a late breakfast. Afternoons a little work on the house or games (I even get a little writing in sometimes), evening TV and dinner with some reading late.

Shopping and other things pop in some days, but today Tamara, jgaleckas's daughter, stopped by to use the Wii Fit while Janice played Oblivion and I write 1300 words on the novel. Then we bowled on the Wii, played a little Xbox together and played Farkel (a dice game).

All in all a fun time and something we wouldn’t have had the chance to do if we were both working.

Jealousy is allowed :-)

Remember when your parents scolded you for not telling them where you were? Well I had to scold the Momma yesterday – here is why.

She was scheduled for an MRI and Ultrasound to determine what might be cause here to be a little unsteady in her walking and such. She has a history of plaque blockage so it could be a new blockage is causing some blood flow restrictions.

Anyway, she was supposed to be done around noon and then call me to let me know how it went. About 12:30 I called her, not expecting her to answer the phone but there she was on the other end like nothing happened:

Me: “I thought you were going to call me? How did the test go?”

Momma: “I didn’t go.”

Me: “You didn’t go?”

Momma: “I was not going to try to walk on the ice. We had three inches, you can’t tell where the sidewalk and yard ends.”

Me: “That’s OK, but don’t you think you should have called me to let me know you weren’t going? I have been worried all morning about what they might find.”

Momma: “I was going to call later this afternoon.”

Me: Facepalm

 

This from the Momma who goes ape if I don’t call soon enough after we get home from a long trip. Is this what they mean by living long enough to aggravate your kids?

I love her but she does these types of things.

This is day 3 of having Mom stay at our place. The first two days have been good with the visit to relatives on Saturday and jgaleckas's daughter Tamara coming over yesterday for dinner and some games along with a replay of the Disney Christmas parade.

It is going pretty well, Mom slept a lot when she was just sitting on the couch. I suspect she was just tired from the trip and all the running around. Last night she started sitting in a chair,that made it easier for her to get up from so she was more awake.

We tried to play a word game that Tamara got for Christmas. It looks like fun but Mom was having a few problems, partially from the fact that he sat on the side and the letters got confusing. She also agonized over every move. It is hard for me to accept that she is just not as sharp as she used to be. I also know that some day soon it will probably be necessary to move her in permanent. Hopefully that will not cause too much strain on Janice and our relationship. I love her and am thankful for this time together, but it is a reality check too.

Today we go shopping for shoes for Mom and a shower chair so she doesn't have to stand all the time in the shower.

As usual jgaleckas and I went down to the farm for Christmas. Her daughter was able to come as well so we had a nice Christmas at Mom's.

I asked Mom if she wanted to come back to Chicago with us so she could come to Janice's son's house today for our Christmas with them. She said yes (I wasn't sure she wold - she's 82 and doesn't get around real well) especially since it will give here a chance to see Janice's latest grandchild for the first time.

The drive home yesterday was OK even though the fog was very thick from St. Louis all the way home. We dropped off Janice's daughter and then headed home. We got home and found a dilemma. The walk from the garage to the back door was ice covered with water on top. This is because the warm weather melted a lot of snow and it compacted into ice. The front was just as bad nd trying to chip the ice away was not working.

So Janice stood behind Momma and I stood in front and we shuffled her along the ice to the door without an incident. Fortunately this morning it looks like the front has melted and the back may even be melted by the time we leave for Christmas #2.

Janice is busy baking bread and making fresh cole slaw that we will bring and have with the Lasagna that her son is making. How's THAT for a Christmas dinner.

Hope your Christmas was wonderful and full of cheer and love.

Tonight, Tamara (jgaleckas 's daughter) came over for some dinner and instead of going to a movie, we played some games. In the first one we played Phase 10, a card game where you need to get a certain combination for each phase and the first to phase all 10 wins. I phased each of the first nine hands and Janice missed one so all I had to do was phase and I would win. I didn't, Janice did and so we played the next hand and even if we both phased I had less points so win the tie. Janice got her phase and before I could get down, Tamara went out and I lost!

After dinner we played Farkel - a simple dice game - and Janice won the first game handily but in the second game I went out and each player gets a chance to beat my score in one turn. Janice didn't get enough so she was out but then Tamara who was way behind, rolled  monster score and beat me.

I am feeling very defeated now. :-(