rest of the way

plumbing  a
tiling         a
new car    a

2 week trip HOME

to

New England

ROAD TRIP!     a



PS
already been and back
I'm a little behind.

eager for the treat

A Dogs Life

indeed

Dogs who ride with their people to the Bank drive up . . . often get treats from nice Tellers.

I have the ONLY dogs, that I know of . . .

who go on their morning walk, 

and get treats delivered to them by 

Meals on Wheels.  

Volunteers, from Meals on Wheels, drive through the Condo Circle to make a daily delivery about the time we are out for Jack and Pepper's morning constitutional.  The dogs are always greeted by name, and I, their "caretaker" am given a handful of treats to be distributed.

They recognize the vehicles, and are always quite excited.

all stopped

Small plumbing Issue

My Mother's home = The condo

The condo is a semi-detached ranch with a finished basement.

There are 2 other attached units to the one side of their unit.  (they look like 3 individual houses . . .very close)

My parents have had "ebb and flow" drain issues in the downstairs furnace room, associated with the running of the main floor washing machine since the condo was built.  (water, debris, and occasional sewage smell, usually only a 4'x4' area on concrete)

dry-vac-sweep-bleach-scrub-dehumidifier

The condo is the last "track" out to the "main line" for all 3 units.

The general plumbing issues have escalated, sluggish drains, sluggish/stopped toilets, etc.  (nothing outrageous, but now pretty much ALL plumbing outlets in her condo)

After much struggle, and consultation with plumbing experts and Association Board members, the Association "Handy-man" Contractor recommended a video snaking.  The Board actually said they would pay for it!  (so many people wanted to watch this procedure, that I considered selling tickets at the door)

The video plumber, (recorded to a flash drive . . . cool), showed me what he thought the issue was, a system plug just sitting sideways in the main line to the street, (under the basement bathroom, just at the "outside" wall).

The Association "Handy-man" Contractor and crew started with crow-bars on the tile and a giant drill for the concrete.

that's my wee size 11 women's foot

Six inches later, it became apparent, a jack hammer was needed.  (Mom, in the Den immediately above, thought her recliner had a vibrate/massage setting she couldn't turn off.  I tried to convince her it was "live action" experience for the ballgame she was watching . . . I don't think she bought it!)

Many shovelfuls of dirt and pea gravel later, they met the water table and the pipe.  A 6 inch pipe, (I gathered he wasn't expecting this depth or size.  I think I was the only one that understood what the "video plumber" had explained of his suspicions),  much bigger then he could get at the local HOME Store for the repair.

(For reasons that become obvious, I did NOT use "my" bathroom that night.  Just shut the door and walk away)

Today they came back to bail, cut, remove the mystery obstruction, repair pipe, back fill, and pour new concrete.

that is an end cap rubber and metal plug

Before anything was built, they laid the street plan with water, storm, and sewage.  From the sewer, they connected main lines that would go to each building and capped them until the individual build and plumbing hook-ups could be done.  The idea is to REMOVE the plug when the connection is made . . . this was lazy/stupid/incompetence.

My parents bought this newly built condo 14 years ago.  It has been sitting sideways in the main line pipe, and every time "things" started to build up behind it, they would have a problem.  And until things become Disastrous here, the other two units do not experience any problems.

Several other owners, in the development, who are also the last "track" out to the "main line" for their buildings, have had similar issues . . . I have a sneaking suspicion I know what the problem is.

Tomorrow, tile, peace, and drainage.

see it pop

It's baseball season.

Mom is very faithful to her Detroit Tigers . . .

but also watches all the California teams . . .

OK, 

let's throw in the Ohio teams too.

I, who do not watch ANY sports, have learned her preferences for the various seasons, (Nascar, college football, skiing, snow boarding, street boarding, gymnastics, swimming, diving, bull riding, and ballroom dancing), and therefore what to search for on the TV schedule.

The dogs, usually have very little interest when she is in the Den watching TV, until today.
I had run out of the Condo to help a neighbor with an emergency situation and I am sure the dogs picked up on the urgency of the phone call I had received.
When I came back, she regaled me with tales, of how they both climbed up on the chair to snuggle.
She asked me to put Jack back up with her, and then accepted when I offered to pop her usual game time Popcorn.

Next thing I know she's offering it to Jack.  Then she's amused that he's waiting for his next bite.  Then she's slightly taken aback when she sets the bag down and he offers to get his own out of the bag.

I told her, she's in for it now.  Every bag is going to have his name on it . . . as far as HE is concerned.

From now on, she will have company when she watches her games!

the race was over. However,

4/19/2013

8:45 p.m.

Now, it's time to heal, repair, mourn, question, answer, and meet our new normal.

It is time to be part of the solution.

http://onefundboston.org/

www.patriots.com/donate

helpless sort of way

Boston Athletic Association

with cell service over-whelmed, 
then shut down, 
businesses closed for the holiday 
and wireless internet hard to find . . .

Thank you to GOOGLE People Finder
for help finding my friends who . . .
were running the marathon,
were volunteering,
or
were manning the medical tents.

(The first one went off where I used to stand to watch for the wheel-chair racers.)

clamor of the busy

 

So much to do

Health Insurance:  finally after 3 1/2 months I have health insurance.  We paid for the full year . . . that, oddly enough, just about sent them into Apoplexy.

 

Taxes:  I never did make it home this winter, so I hoped I had brought enough of my files to do my taxes.  I scrounged and pulled together all I thought I needed and sent it to the Michigan accountants that had done them for the last 3 years.  I kept my fingers crossed.  I got a call, after identifying himself, his first words were:  I blame Romney!  Thank you!  I blurted out, I've been trying to explain that to people for years!  we went on to have a discussion about the coming federal health care system and how it is actually based on Romney's plan in effect in Massachusetts.  If you get your health care insurance through a job, it affects you very little.  You simply have to file a health care 1099 with your taxes or be fined or lose a significant portion of your refund.  Having to obtain your own health insurance AND affording it is an entirely  different matter.  When I was working for the Agency here in Michigan, which had it's HOME OFFICE in Maryland, and therefore my insurance was from Maryland . . . try explaining to THEM what you need for your taxes in yet another state to PROVE you had health insurance for the entire year so you won't be fined.  Anyway, DONE.

 

Mom's taxes:  My brother is actually responsible for these, but with the chaos of an early Easter, several regular Church services per week, the addition of weekly Lenten services, plus the usual assorted duties of congregation, local synod cluster and family . . . my proximity elected me to try to sort out the necessary paperwork.  The "pile method" has now been reorganized to an actual file system in the file drawers!  Lord, please don't let me have pureed something I shouldn't have.  We met up and I passed the large brown paper grocery bag to him.  Good luck.  (same accountants . . . have mercy on them.)

 

Doctor's appointment:  I already had been through this and had a Doctor here.  Since technically I still had Blue Cross, (3 different states since 2010), I already knew she was on the approved list.  However, in the 3 1/2 months of trying to get local insurance, she'd finished Maternity leave and decided to take a longer leave, (years?), to take care of her child.  Time to find another doctor.  Trying to stay with Henry Ford and prefer Internal Medicine.  One would think one common office and all would accept the same insurance, but it does NOT work that way.  I found my choice, one that I had been shifting between the first time around, (2010), except she was at an office I preferred not to go to.  That office has since closed and she now is at the same office as my previous MD.  I called to make an appt. and was told "she is not accepting NEW patients."  (Now, wait a minute, I've been going back and forth between BC/BS, HFHS, and several review sites all saying accepting new patients)  "I could make you an appt. with another doctor here . . ."  Uhh, no thank you.  (I'm going to just LET THEM pick me out a doctor??  yes let's go to a car dealership and LET THEM pick me a car.  Uhh, NO!  Now what, there weren't any other good candidates in that specialty, in my opinion.)  I decided to try the "back door method" to get what I wanted.  I requested an appt.  with her through the on-line HFHS website.  I was honest.  I got my appt.  YES!!

 

speaking of cars . . .

New vehicle:  Mom's decided she will not be driving, therefore we do not need two vehicles.  The newer of the two, was Dad's car and neither of us much care for it as a singular transport for us.  My car, hers previously, is 12 years and ageing fast, so it was decided she/we would trade in both and get a new vehicle . . . my choice, her money.  Brother and his Beloved, had taken Mom out for lunch in his vehicle, while I was out one day.  As she is rather tall, she got in and out of his newer Escape rather well.  It has the cargo space I prefer, is well rated for an American in it's category, and my brother really likes his.  I did all my research, right down to the new 2013 colors, and made a list of musts, ambiguous actually, and "really I would rather nots".  My Brother and I met with his Ford Dealer, I handed over the list, and they said they would check for one.  There won't be, I looked.  Oh, you're right.  I fielded questions from my Brother and the Dealer about my choices . . . color:  ginger ale- new this year, a black SUV, (predictable really), same with silver, white, and gray . . . NO.  Blue is becoming very common, couldn't stomach brown, and will not pay extra for red.  tow package and therefore need the 2.0:  bike rack and I'm going to need to get my stuff back one of these years.   And on it went, the Dealer seemed impressed with my knowledge . . . well I did have two weeks to research.  So that is ordered.  Hopefully we will have it when we finally get to go visit HOME in May.

 

There was more, but really don't you think this post is long enough?

 

dull reality

never a dull moment 





Mom has decided it is time for spring cleaning.  She actually thinned out enough space in the closets that I can now, actually have some space rather then just the little closet in the basement.  HURRAY

 

Sometimes when she talks, she talks so fast that I can't make out a syllable much less a word.  Today she apparently wanted me to clean the kitchen window, and was gesturing and making noise.  I just looked at her quizzically and said, "slow down you are starting to sound like White Fang!"

She slapped at me as she laughed hysterically with tears running down her face.
 

truly, she did.

 I said, "slow down, you speak very clearly if you don't think about it and SLOW down!"  Apparently, I need Soupy to come back and translate.
 

In Spring,

A sure sign of Spring . . .

my walking around outside without a coat and with bare feet . . .
oh yeah, never mind, that's NOT a sign of spring . . . only when the uproar diminishes, is it a sign of Spring!

taking out the trash

Robins are not a sign of Spring, since I see them all winter long, (and there is NOTHING funnier, then a Robin on a Suet Feeder).

Now a Red Winged Blackbird singing from the top of a tree . . . THAT is Spring!


sciencebuzz

I've never seen one trying to eat from a bird feeder before this week.  It is probably a little early for the usual bugs.

Another sign of Spring, my Mother yelling at the Mourning Doves raiding the bowl of seed on the deck.  She believes they have no right to the food that should be for the Cardinals.

last January

I hear my New England Home has another 12 inches with the snow still flying.  Sounds like the coast has two more High Tides to worry about!  I guess I am fortunate my house is inland amongst the hills . . .

And

Thank goodness for wonderful Neighbors,

OK,

one set

in particular!

Thank You

Tom and Konnie

PS
Hang in there my Friends, Spring really IS supposed to be coming!

Imagine her surprise

At the end of January, Mom's church voted  by questionare ballot, Woman of the Year.  She then goes to a Southwestern Michigan Luncheon to name THE Woman of the Year for the area.

Thank you very much

At least two somebodies voted for me.
I was the fourth nominee,
Even though I'm not a member of this Church.

Hmmmm.