Gotta love Bunnings!!

We will be able to renovate the parents' unit ALL from Bunnings ( aussie hardware chain for the likes of you, MizS!). And the best thing is that we were told today that if we get a list (LISTS!!) together of everything we need and take it to the trade counter and pay there and then we could get up to a 10% discount.  Not bad when we are looking at close on $20,000.  Love spending other people's money!!

Himself and I took Two shopping for clothes for his new job.  Almost as much as spending other people's money do I love spending our money on Two and his brothers!  Especially when it's buying clothes that he couldn't otherwise afford.  And with the end of year sales we bought $450 of stuff from David Jones for $200!!!  How good is THAT?!

Tomorrow we are forecast winter weather.  Even down to snow in the ranges.  Maximum of 19C in Melbourne.  My calendar tells me we should be in the middle of summer!!  Not that I'm complaining.  I know people who chase the sun and I think they are barking mad!  I am much happier piling clothes on to keep warm than stripping off to keep cool.. Cos there comes a point when you can't strip off any more and by then you're probably illegal!

So happy to see old friends come out of the woodwork.  How many more before we have the band back together?!

List:

• MUST find out how to get photos from phone to PC to blog
• learn how to use my iPad properly
• teach dogs to pick up own poo.
• ditto cats and their litter
• replace dead petunias (from the heat we had last week!)
• look for work :(
• subscribe to flylady

The Talk

I went and spoke with the manager of the aged care facility that my parents call home.  I must say I went with heart in mouth, knees a-knockin' and palms sweating.  The manager was receptive, assured me the incidents would be followed up and rang me this evening to give me an update.  I told him that I was sure my parents hadn't been singled out and therefore there must be other residents who have been traumatised.  He agreed.

So ... we wait to see what happens next.


And Himself has almost finished his CV which has been a huge issue for him ... not sure why but there you go.

Tomorrow I see the osteo and then we go and help Two buy a suit for a new job and then we go and start demolishing my parents' old kitchen so we can get the unit ready to sell.  Dr Teacher was given that job but has failed miserably so it's back on us.  Other Brother, on the other hand, has been magnificent.

And Jan got in touch with me .... gotta love the internet friendships!

Lists

• post more frequently
• renew old blog friendships (Hi again Lisa and Trish ... heard from Jan?)
• deal with issues at parents' aged care facility ... NOT acceptable to have mother traumatised by TWO men entering her room - both suffer from advanced dementia and scare staff as well as parents. 
• find job
• lose weight
• make more lists

I have great hopes for 2012

This year has to be better than the last two.

We had a lovely Christmas with SS and his fambly down from Qld.  What does one call one's stepson's stepkids?  Do two steps cancel out and they become grandkids?  Regardless, they are gorgeous and we had a fabulous time.

The parents are OK.  Dad seems happy.  But then he always does.  Mum has her days but when she has a bad day we remind her where she actually was ... ie, starving, falling over and not coping. In the aged care facility they are well fed, safe, entertained and treated like family.

Himself is still not working.  The sad thing is he would love to be able to retire but our super is up the creek.  I thought I had a really good part time job but it fell through.  Need to rethink.

He has a project car and is doing some courses on line. Crazy, but I miss him when he's not sitting up here with me!!

Kids are OK.  One and Ebs are building a house.  Two seems to be happy - new job and newish girlfriend. Three has a new job also but still with same girlfriend.  Dogs and cats are thriving.

I am still seeing my psych and am redoing the ACT course with far more benefits this time.

Yes ... life is looking better :)

Himself has emerged from the garage.  Will go and spend time with him...

OK. Maybe 2012 will be better!!!

Himself has been on leave.  He took 5 weeks off.  He had a lot accrued and his company wanted him to take some.

It's been fun and challenging having him home all the time.

Today was his last day on hols.  He got a phone call.  Went into work.  10 minutes later came out with no job. 

Another victim of the GFC or whatever you want to call it.

We aren't destitute but don't have enough for him to stop working altogether (he's 62). 

Life is interesting.

still here

Life has been very difficult.  Mum and Dad are settling in but not without major teething issues.

I am really struggling to cope (hence lack of presence here) and even ran away to my brother and sister-in-law's place for 10 days which was great but I had to come home.

I still read my fave blogs and keep up with you all but just don't have the time or energy to post here. 

Just so you know.

The next stage

Today we move Dad into a permanent aged care facility and on Monday Mum will move in, too.

A week ago Dr Teacher and I spent the day with the parents trying to get Mum to agree to go to hospital because she couldn't weight bear on her right leg.  In the end her GP ordered X-rays which we managed with great difficulty getting her in and out of my car and he then arranged for her to be admitted to hospital for investigations.  I had to arrange an urgent respite bed for Dad.

On Monday Dr Teacher and I saw a financial advisor who specialises in aged care and we found that Mum and Dad could afford to move into the facility that we three siblings had looked at the previous week.  And liked.  I checked out another facility on Tuesday and was shocked.  I'm so glad we looked at the good one first.

So, in three weeks we've gone from Mum saying that snow would freeze in hell before she would move into permanent care to her desperate to move asap!  You can only begin to imagine the running around and emotional stress we've all been under.

I just hope that she likes it cos there ain't no going back!