I have been trying to teach Ken how to use his PC and how to add a post to his blog. Neither of which has been hugely successful. Trouble is, the technology has advanced even faster than I can handle, so I'm still learning while trying to teach someone else. Life lesson #1: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
I think I got carded at the grocery yesterday. We picked out a bottle of Winking Owl Merlot at Aldi's, and the cashier asked me what my date of birth was. She didn't ask to see my license, but I've never (in the past 30+ years) been asked for my birthday when buying alcohol. Life Lesson #2: Age is just a number.
The good people from the HCVP (aka Section 8) will be here again next Tuesday to re-inspect the property. Most of the things that were marked for repair involved the garage: painting it, cleaning out the gutters, and fixing a hole in the roof. Those are things that the owner (me) has to take care of. The other item needing repair is the tenant's refrigerator, which according to our lease, is the tenant's responsibility to take care of. Section 8, however, has it listed as owner-responsible.What this means is that even if we repair the garage, if our tenant doesn't repair her fridge, we could lose our Section 8 contract. Life Lesson #3: If anything can go wrong, it will.
So today, I sat on hold for probably 20 minutes with the Inspections department, trying to get the issue of the fridge straightened out. I'm looking at it this way: if our HCVP contract gets canceled, it won't be our fault. Life Lesson #4: Get them before they get you.
Ken made a disappointing discovery this afternoon. Apparently, someone in the neighborhood needed a new lawn mower worse than we did. We'd only had it for a couple of months, used it about 4 times. But, as Ken walked to the garage, he didn't see it. It's been stolen. Ken is so angry and disgusted. Life Lesson #5: Some people will take advantage of you at every opportunity.
Tonight we're watching "Pay It Forward" and I'm crying at the end. Feeling thankful for all the angels who have helped me during rough times. Life Lesson #6: Pay it forward, random acts of kindness.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Reading the Past
So today I've been busy reading old blog entries with the intention of putting tags (labels) on them. It's been an interesting experience. It's also a bit depressing how many posts are tagged with Parkinson's.
One of the posts that jumped out at me had to do with Ken's 66th birthday, and how I was going to make this year's better. I think I accomplished my goal. We went to Debonne Vineyards (about an hour's drive east of Cleveland) to enjoy some good food, music and a hot air balloon ride.
I think he was pleasantly surprised.
The rest of this post is dedicated to the memory of my dad. He died June 30, 2010. I think it only fair that the 4-year-old blog should come to an end. The current blog will keep going (I hope!), but there won't be any more reminiscences. Till next time...
The garden is going great guns, or at least part of it is. The peas and the onions? I’ve given up hope for them. The sweet peppers are really struggling along, but the hot peppers are doing OK. The cherry tomatoes are the biggest surprise. The 2 plants are enormous! They have completely taken over their corner. The zucchini and the squash are trying to make a break for it, expanding past the confines of the garden and stretching into the back yard.
Ken’s daughter Stephanie and her boyfriend (fiancé?) Nick were here to visit 10 days ago. Sat was a relaxing evening getting caught up on family news. On Sun, we took advantage of free admission and went to the Museum of Natural History. It was good to spend time with them, though they left too soon.
Steve and I drove to NJ at the end of June. Actually, Steve drove and I tagged along. Daddy had emergency surgery June 13, and was really having trouble recovering from it. Steve and I felt the need to see him, and he was doing better when we were there. As we got ready to drive home Mon, he took a turn for the worse. My sister Nancy made it down from NH on Tues, but he died Wed morning.
I miss him so much. I keep thinking the phone will ring and I’ll hear his “Good evening” on the other end. Memorial services will be held next weekend. It’s gonna be rough.
One of the posts that jumped out at me had to do with Ken's 66th birthday, and how I was going to make this year's better. I think I accomplished my goal. We went to Debonne Vineyards (about an hour's drive east of Cleveland) to enjoy some good food, music and a hot air balloon ride.
The rest of this post is dedicated to the memory of my dad. He died June 30, 2010. I think it only fair that the 4-year-old blog should come to an end. The current blog will keep going (I hope!), but there won't be any more reminiscences. Till next time...
Ah, Summer, 7/26/10
What a summer it’s been. The garden is growing (and GROWING!), we’ve had Ken’s daughter here to visit, my brother Steve and I took a road trip to New Jersey to see my dad, and my dad passed away June 30.The garden is going great guns, or at least part of it is. The peas and the onions? I’ve given up hope for them. The sweet peppers are really struggling along, but the hot peppers are doing OK. The cherry tomatoes are the biggest surprise. The 2 plants are enormous! They have completely taken over their corner. The zucchini and the squash are trying to make a break for it, expanding past the confines of the garden and stretching into the back yard.
Ken’s daughter Stephanie and her boyfriend (fiancé?) Nick were here to visit 10 days ago. Sat was a relaxing evening getting caught up on family news. On Sun, we took advantage of free admission and went to the Museum of Natural History. It was good to spend time with them, though they left too soon.
Steve and I drove to NJ at the end of June. Actually, Steve drove and I tagged along. Daddy had emergency surgery June 13, and was really having trouble recovering from it. Steve and I felt the need to see him, and he was doing better when we were there. As we got ready to drive home Mon, he took a turn for the worse. My sister Nancy made it down from NH on Tues, but he died Wed morning.
I miss him so much. I keep thinking the phone will ring and I’ll hear his “Good evening” on the other end. Memorial services will be held next weekend. It’s gonna be rough.