Today

It's been awhile, hasn't it? A lot of changes. For those of you that are friends of mine on Facebook you know that we have (unexpectedly) adopted a new kitten. David heard it in the garage and we finally located a tiny,  terrifed little tabby. We were able to eventually coax it out, we had thought he was feral but I think he was just scared. He looked to be about 5 or 6 weeks - and a dump.It's hard not to feel bad, he was crying so hard, it was so sad. We kept putting food and water out for him, then brought him some old blankets to sit in. I moved one of Vincent's old litter pans in and he figured that out quick. Over the past weeks we've moved him from the garage to the basement and now upstairs. Molly is back to her cat staring ways but is getting better, Vincent hates him but will get over him. I need not remind him that no one was thrilled about his appearance so many years ago. Since Adam has been working nights Scouts spends the daylight hours in the basement with him, then is brought up if someone is around. He's still too tiny to let run and Molly is not entirely trustworthy. At night it's back to the basement but there's cat toys, a couch and blanket, food, and it's clean so it's not a bad place to be. Adam is currently in Ohio, he's planning on moving out soon if all goes well, he wants to move there as he has friends that live there now. It's nice to live somewhere you know at least one or two people We're hoping by the time he  goes Scout will be past the edible stage and we can start letting him out. Work has been busy, I've had to fill in a few shifts out in the field but it's a change of scenery so I don't mind. Kids are hilarious, I was filling in for one of our aide cases and the kid asked me if I was an aide. I said no and the kid looked at me and said "oh, you WORK for the aides" - this same party also suggested a makeover as "you would look better". It was a fun afternoon, I love children and their honesty, it does make me laugh. I have Monday off, we are not doing too much which is fine with me. I had considered it briefly but I work and travel so much staying home feels like a vacation! Today we went and checked on the houses, one might be sold!!, then just dawdled back home. We did the grocery shopping, went to the bookstore, a little here, a little there. In the coming weeks I'm planning on hiking the state parks, this weekend it's just too hot. We took the dogs to the park last week and then were panting like crazy so we didn't stay too long. It's the humidity I think, we run the dehumidifier during the summer and I dump the bucket on a daily basis. Not much else going on, it's the end of summer dodrums I suppose.

Back In Time.

This week someone I've known since I was four passed away - it's bittersweet, isn't it? Even though I haven't physically seen him in years I thought of him quite often, his children - my friends have let me know how he was and have passed on my hellos, my Christmas cards full of how the boys were doing. As he passed we were all reliving the past  - Fabian was a bit....unusual. We laugh remembering the Do It Yourself Sailboat in which we were enlisted to assist, all six of us. Kate, Mark, Jeanne, Janet, Henry and me. One afternoon he had us bracing sheets of paneling on interior with epoxy in 90 degree heat, curved and bending to the walls. The idea that the glue would hold after about half and hour (day) and we could go on our merry way. This was before fumes were bad for you by the way. We let go slowly - it stayed and  as we swarmed down the ladder to the ground you could hear the paneling popping off the walls, I do believe we all headed for the woods....He paid us to correct multiple choice tests for his law students - we sat at folding tables with the answer grids, I often wondered as an adult what those students would have thought if they knew their tests being handed back on Monday had been reviewed by a group of elementary kids? When I went to visit them one summer in Brooklyn he took us all to a  high end fund raiser for the Governor one night because he thought it would be good for me to see, so he showed up with four bouncy children - we had ice cream in Little Italy at midnight after - he had his faults but they were shadowed by his sheer velocity - we can all tell stories about Fabian for hours,  I wish I had taken more time to appreciate those days, my brother mentioned the time he took us to the drive in( and keep in mind we all traveled together so if an adult went there were six children) where if you made it through the night of B horror movies you got free donuts. And we would have gotten the doughnuts if he hadn't woken up and realized what time it was. It's funny but all week I've been thinking of the times I would go back to if I had the chance. I would go back to the summer days in Brooklyn hanging out the window with a stick trying to whack the cherries off the only tree in that tiny back yard. Or Mark putting a sardine on a cookie to see if that would make me like them better. Sleeping outside in that giant patio he built that no one every ate in , but we slept in it all summer. My entire childhood into young adulthood is tangled in Palominos - we were all close in age. We lost touch a bit as everyone grew up, apart, but never completely. As I get older I start to lose people., some of my classmates, friends, grandparents pass on. I am more aware this year of the passage of time, when I think to where I would have liked my life to stay - The long hot days when we talked all night between the houses, discussing what we were going to do tomorrow until our parent's or theirs told us (again) to go to sleep. Or the year Kim, Liz, Richard and I became best friends, we lived at each other's houses.  I guess the years the boys were old enough to cart around and young enough to enjoy it. Those endless summers of the beach at the end of the road, Mel was alive, Adam and Jackson had their posse to play with all day. Setsu, Mikio and Ray were well. We had enough money - things were looking up. Jackson's senior year when we lived in Maidsville, Pearl was healthy, the hunting was good, I thought I had everything. So many shining moments.So many wonderful, happy memories.  And yet so many more to come.

One Step Forward Two Steps Back.

This week has been a constant barrage of stuff. Nothing earth shattering, but it seems like all week it's been a struggle. Wednesday was my eye appointment with Dr. Fenghali, the glaucoma specialist that I've been seeing for about 3 years or so now. I had the laser surgery on both eyes about 2 years ago to keep it from getting worse. Since I started I have not missed an appointment, your sight is not something you want to fool around with.My appointment was first thing in the morning and I took a sick day from work. By the time my eyes recover from all the drops they use the day is shot. I also decided to drop my car off at the mechanic's as it needed an oil change, inspection and back brakes. I met David at the Subaru place Tuesday night and we left my car so they would have all day, then Wednesday headed over to Morgantown to my appointment. It takes about an hour or so, but in the end it was good news - pressure is down in both eyes and my vision has actually improved, I hadn't realized my new eyeglasses have a much lower prescription than the old ones. On the way downstairs David couldn't find his keys - they weren't  lost we discovered but they were conveniently locked in the van. Along with the spare key- and the sunglasses. Sigh. David does not have a smart phone and will not use mine so I was standing in the corner trying to see mine blinking and squinting. The first locksmith  I called was located in Union town but he gave me the name of a local one. I called and not only were they only five miles away, since they had just opened the guy was available right now. We were back on the road in about 20 minutes so it was not a huge deal. We did the grocery shopping and while we were out called the mechanic who told us we could pick the car up around two which was great. We could finish our shopping and then go the the car. We got there on the dot and were apologized to, they didn't have the right brake pads and had to go get them so we needed to come back at five. Which  was annoying. I had Weight Watchers on Thursday I lost a couple more pounds but I have to say it's a struggle every day now. I'm trying hard not to get into that not eating at all mode or eating a lot less because the problem is you can only do that for so long - and when you fall off the wagon it gets worse each time doesnt' it? The first time around I had to lose twenty pounds, the second time it was thirty five, now I'm looking at over forty. And each time it gets a little harder. It's not just vanity that drives me, it's the big picture. I'm healthy right now, but we have a family history of heart disease , cancer arthritis, diabetes, all the things that are very much affected by weight. Given the current economy and our finances  I'll probably be working into my 70's - I no longer worry about enjoying my retirement I worry if I'll actually get one . And if I can't retire til then I would like to enjoy a couple years of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job right now immensely but I am not looking forward to being that pathetic 75 year old pretending I love working so much I can't stop. Arrgh. Enough of THAT. I have been working out in the mornings and am hoping we have a nice fall this year so I can take Molly really hiking - she loves the woods and the parks so much I know she'll get a kick out of it.