HOT!!!

I don't have a lot to write about, mainly because lately it has been so hot that I don't feel like doing anything, it was 102 today!. The weekend was nice with Lizzie, we tried a new Restaurant and we enjoyed it, other than that we just rested and read and enjoyed the A?C. Even Lulu is hating to go outside, she takes a second to do her business and then runs back in. Can't blame her.

Last night I couldn't sleep, I turned the computer off by 2AM, my usual time, and went to bed but I keep turning and trying to get comfortable, then I heard a cricket and I had to get up and look for it and couldn't find it so I went back to try to sleep, but no luck! I got up again and went to the bathroom and there was a cricket there! Then I went to the kitchen to get some water, and I saw a bunch of very small ants on top of a little piece of butter that had been left on the counter. The ants have been around all weekend, just one or two at a time but they were pesky. I had cleaned the kitchen counter but for the side next to the refrigerator, and that's where I found them. So I took everything out, and cleaned it, and sprayed, and cleaned again, and went back to bed. It was 4:57AM
it took me a while but finally I went to sleep.

This morning I woke up by 9 and took Lulu out and had some breakfast and went back to bed, but we had to go to dialysis. When I got back, I slept for 2 hours, and it was good.

Tomorrow I am going to see my doctor in Huntington Beach. I have a pink spot on my left arm, above the elbow, that I think is a basal cell carcinoma. I had one a few years ago in my thigh, and this one looks about the same, so he'll probably send me to a dermatologist to get a biopsy and if it is what I think, they'll scrape it out.

After the doctor I'll go by Norbert's to see how he's doing. I talk to him a few times a week, and he has his ups and downs. I think not being able to drive is upsetting him the most. And of course, what to do wit Crista, and his sister.

Sorry this has been a boring post :)

Jobs

I read Sandy's blog about thinking of someday changing jobs or starting a business or doing something else altogether.

I thought about all the jobs I've had and was going to write about it, but then I remember I wrote something about it already, and looking back at the beginning of my blog (2007), there it was, a list of some of the jobs I had (mainly when I lived in Barcelona, and many of them short lived because I was also going to school so they were part time).

The longest jobs I've had was working in a Travel Agency in Barcelona, 2 different ones, Viajes Fram and Viajes Conde, and. giving city tours (those were FUN times!). Then in the US, working at The Milk Farm in Dixon (not my favorite job), and then working as an aide in Burley, Idaho, and ultimately, being a teacher in Burley (7th grade and Kindergarten) and my longest being a Kindergarten teacher for 26 years in SFS, CA.

All in all I enjoyed all of them, because of my slight ADD I don't think i would have lasted on a 9-5 job, all the jobs I had were very flexible, so they were a good match for me.

Some good news (and a sad one)

N went to the neurosurgeon today. I called him tonight and spoke to his sister for a while, she told me they are going to do a CT scan monthly, that he needs to walk for 15 minutes twice a day, cannot lift thing or bent or twist his body, and NO DRIVING. I was dreading talking to him because I thought he might be more depressed or upset...but I was so happily surprised! At least for today (and hopefully from now on) he was the old Norbert. He made sense, he told me about the doctor's visit and what he told them. He said the doctor showed him his head xray and said that was a deadly fall and he's lucky to be alive. I think that jolted him! He was kidding, and laughing, and just talking like he did before the fall, he even was talking seriously and making a lot of sense about his future with Crista. He realizes that it may not be the dream he had, but he will keep on working to bring her here so she can have a better life, he was making a lot of good sense. He also said he had a nice dinner Eva made for him- with no mention of poison or dog food- and he said he needs to be patient and hope for the best. I was very encouraged, and I hope he stays this way :)

The sad news is the death of Joan Rivers. I really liked her, I liked her humor and the way she made fun of herself. I read all the books she wrote and found her to be a very smart caring funny woman. I watched her TV shows, and never missed "Fashion Police". She said the way to deal with tragedy, or pain, or bad luck, is just to make fun of it, to laugh at it, as a way of coping. To find humor in life, to always see the bright side of things. May she rest in peace and make them laugh in heaven.

September 1

We had a nice Labor Day Weekend. The weather has been lovely, warm days and cool nights. We haven't done much but had nice grilled steaks and garlic all i oli both days, and I presonally drank a whole botthe of Cava. YUM. I only missed a good dessert but Marv baked some chocolate chip cookies and it helped :)

I called N yesterday and he was resting so I didn't talk to him, but I talked to his sister, she said he got a steak finally (whoohoo!). Something interesting... I've been dreaming of spiders lately, I always sream a lot and most of myt dreams are fun. The one about spiders was OK, but not my favorite. I checked a website about the meaning of dreams and that's what it said about dreaming of spiders..."To see a spider in your dreams indicates that you are feeling like an outsider in some situation." Isn't that interesting? That's exactly how I feel.

Changing the subject, I enjoyed reading about Jeff's interview in the San Diego troubador. I'd like to get a copy sometime Lizzie :)

And just finished reading Sandy's blog. WOW new furniture and a 65" TV. I wish I could decide things like that, been thingking of getting new living room furniture and then I change my mind, I want to but just thinking of all the work entailed just tires me, besides I don't really know what we want. Our main goal is comfort. We'll see.

I hope everybody has a wonderful September!

August Wrap Up

Best thing about August was having Tristan staying with us for a while. We really love having him here! Then of course we also had Sandy and Lizzie for the weekend, and is always great when we are all together. Only bad thing was Lizzie getting sick on Sunday with a migraine.

This month I went out to lunch a couple of times with Jennifer, and I also had dinner on Wednesday with my next door neighbor Amy, we both were in need of a Cadillac Margarita!

Another positive is that Marvin has been feeling pretty good this month, just this last week had a touch of bursitis in his elbow, but seems to be getting better.

We have also bought a new patio fountain and is very melodious, I can't wait for the birds to find it and bathe in it! Marvin and I put it together, and then I helped the gardener positioned it in the right place.

Unfortunately, the sad thing is what's going on with Norbert. He's become paranoid and things everybody is out to get him, especially his sister. They absolutely don't get along, he complains she doesn't feed him, and wishes she would go home. She hired a caretaker to be with him 24/7 but yesterday she fired him . She's extremely tight with money and that's something that totally annoys me because I think if he's at home, there should be somebody with him 24/7 only somebody strong,that would help him, and also a person to come a few days a week to cook and clean. And an apartment manager. But it's not going to happen. It aggravates me that I don't have any say at all.
His sister is unable to cope with the way he is, they are both depressed and upset, and just not getting along. I don't know what's going to happen with the Filipino girl, I think his sister is going to talk him out of it. He also is saying he probably won't live much longer and if he does get better he's going to sell everything and move to an island . I go visit him once in a while but is hard for me because is impossible to reason with either one and it leaves me very frustrated. We talked on the phone a few times a week and some days he sounds more rational than others. Next week they are going to the neurosurgeon and maybe they will get some answers. I think he has not been himself since he got back from his trip, he started acting a little different, but having the fall really made things a ton worse. We'll see.

I must say I am very lucky because I am not a person that gets depressed or stressed too much, once in a while I have a small meltdown but it doesn't last long. So I am coping well with everything for the most part, I think :)

This is a list of books I read in August:

Lovehampton by Sherry Rifkin
A Wedding in Provence by Ellen Sussman :)
The Brides of Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Mr. Maybe by Jane Green :(
Doing it at the Dixie Dew by Ruth Moose
Save the date by Mary Kay Andrews :)

And the movies I watched:

Chef (2014) :)
La Cage Doree (2013) French/Portuguese
Moms Night Out (2014)
The Lunchbox (2014) Indian
The Longest Week (2014)
Enfin Veuve (2007)
Are you here (2013) :(
Life of Crime (2014)

Looking forward to Fall!

And so it goes

I haven't written for a few days because there's not so much to tell.

Mainly is the ongoing saga with my friend. And I really don't want to bother you with all the details, suffice to say that things are getting worse, among other things, he's developing a paranoid personality disorder which makes it very hard especially for his sister and me.

On Thursday I went out to lunch with Jennifer, and then we went to Jersey School, since school starts the 27 I was going to help set up the room, but ended up not doing it and talking to other teachers and just hanging around.

On Friday, Marvin and I went to Home Depot and bought a new fountain for the garden, the old one had stopped working, pump malfunction, and we thought it better to just buy a new one. The gardeners will come next week and help us set it up since it is too heavy for us to lift.

Happy Belated Anniversary Sandy and Marty!

I am so sorry I didn't congratulate you on your 21st Anniversary. There's been so much stuff going on that I lost track of time. I hope you had a nice day and I wish you many many more happy ones! :)

Love you,
Mama