Stress Center Peer Support

i think i'm your father in law in MANY ways - but i'm not 86! comparisons later LOL

karma

paislee - please know that in no way was i laughing or making fun of your fil's situation. i'm like him in that i use space heaters too. and my fireplace and warming throws. i simply won't/can't heat this old house of mine - it's so expensive! there is almost no insulation. i have high ceilings and windows and doors that leak cold air in and warm air out. i think satellites flying overhead use infrared to see the heat leaving the house to warm the neighorhood LOL last year i felt so much better - i don't remember even having a cold. of course that may be because germs can't live in this cold? maybe! my sister calls my kitchen base camp two.

at least your sisters in law live close to your fil - that is a gift!

mano - i came home to find pony - my big black dog - still on his chain but over the fence. don't know how long he'd been like that. now i've got to figure a way to put the electric wire all the way around the back yard. i thought he was just going over the "regular" side yard fence - NOT the higher fence. yep he outsmarted me - again.

this weekend is THE sec championship game - auburn and south carolina. i've got mama and a friend coming over. we'll have a big fire and have a good time. i'm excited about it. btw, sec football = canadian hockey LOL

things are going well at work - and i don't know why other than using the new elbow pads. i'll buy more when i'm off for christmas break - 2 weeks.

speaking of which - being off work for 2 weeks is NOT good for me. it leaves me with too much time to think which equals starting to slow down which means starting to get depressed which equals anxiety. i have connected the dots! i've got to plan things in advance - make lists of aims, goals, blah blah blah. i CAN do it!!!! send lots of posts LOL

tomorrow is friday - yayyyyyyyyyyyy. it's supposed to be pretty nice - 60s and mostly sunny. i can't wait to walk the boys on the river walk. it's dark so early right now and it's been either raining or coldddddd.

i did do 50 minutes of yoga when i got home from work. started a nice fire in the fireplace - doing yoga in front of the fireplace was so peaceful - loved it.

how is everyone?

karma

Paislee - I understand about dealing with older people. My folks are 81 and 84. They live 2 blocks away from me. When I get a call from them, I jump ! Dad's on full time oxygen (he's been that way for 7 years). Mom is still active. She putters around the yard and in the garden and in the winter, she's always doing stuff inside the house. I'm glad that she does stay active. In the colder weather, I take her grocery shopping and to the drug store etc etc. In the warmer weather, dad takes her. He still drives. He went for a driver's test last month and did very well ! He drove a truck as part of his job for 45 years. I guess he knows what he's doing ! LOL I still get anxious about it all though. I guess that's a part of life !

Karma - sec football = Canadian hockey ! ....got it ! LOL

Are things going well at work because you shrug off the negative stuff or is it good because it's actually good ?

I think your dogs are as funny as they think you are ! LOL They're a hoot ! LOL They do this stuff on purpose you know.

Too much time on your hands over the holidays is definitely a bad thing. If it isn't too cold (LOL) .....go for walks or call friends or get on here and type away. I think I'll be working over the holidays. Right now though, I'm down to 38 hours a week....big difference from 45 - 50 hours a week. In a way, I hope I work over the holidays, but in another way, it would be good to just rest and take care of myself. It's been a good year health wise, but work wise it got very stressful at times.

The one thing about this time of year is going for my walks. It's 32 degrees right now and during the day it's at about 34 degrees. If I go for my walk, I look like the kid in A Christmas Story (I can't put my arms down ! I can't put my arms down ! LOL) I have to put on so many layer of clothes. I really do need to go though. Wish me luck ! LOL

This weekend, I'm going to relax. I'm going to kick back in the recliner (after I go for my walk LOL) and just watch TV or movies. Nice relaxing TV or movies. Nothing stressful.

Hope all is going good !

Hi Karma and Mano--Thanks for cheery and fun comments! Yep, FIL doesn't really need the electric heaters completely if he would burn coal. He lives in very cold and windy weather and just like you, Karma the house is very old and was meant to be heated by coal. Which also helps to heat the water. Which would save on electricity.

Two of the siblings are insisting coal gets ordered and I think a Grandson will help maintain the coal stove. It has a hopper and coal bin, etc. When I use to go there to visit I always made sure there is an electric blanket and little heater. Because it isn't like a gas furnace where you can just turn up the heat and FIL would turn down the thermostat and be upset when he would find it turned up! :p
We bad...

He is just so use to living frugally raising lots of children that he thinks he still has to save every penney. Even though he is in fine shape.

It looks like so far, that he won't be living with us for the winter. Did I mention that yet?
SIL suggested to him to stay w/ us over the winter, he pretty much said, "Heck, No!". I know mainly he doesn't want to leave his home nor friends or activities. I'm relieved...whew! As long as someone can help him with the coal and visit more often, he'll be okay.

Mano--Yes, your Dad is a young man still. Truck driver, definitely can still handle the road.
I had to take my Dad's driving privileges away in his last days due to his chemo treatment. He didn't like it, and I was proud that I stood up to him when he challenged me. I did it in a logical and kind way. So he put down his guard.

Wow, so one of you will be not working much and the other gets to work more. My only concern right now is being ready for Christmas. I guess I'm going to let my son bring down the fake tree. I love real trees but if they have been out on the lot where it freezes, then the needles come off of them really fast. And become a fire hazard and a mess.

My Christmas shopping usually doesn't start until closer to Christmas due to our business receivables coming in. It seems that house taxes, and licenses are always due in December. And we have to be sure we pay our employees and bills to keep us going.

My children are all adults now, so it isn't like I have to have the red scooter sitting next to the Christmas Tree in the morning. So that always brings a mix of good and bad emotions, of course. It is hard being an empty nester. I never thought it would be so hard.

I still have a kid at home, but he is a college student and not a kid. He is at that awkward age, where they still want to be a kid and yet want to be a grown up.

Okay, I better post this and see what is recorded on TV. CYA, in the morning! Paislee

Karma--I'll be watching that football game as well! Have fun!

Karma and Man of Music, I am missing You!! Where are ya'll? Man: I was watching Headline News yesterday and they kept showing all these people stranded in Canada because of the weather. Please tell me you aren't stuck in a snowbank somewhere

hello everyone!!!!

funny story time!!! got a letter from the IRS saying i've been on combat status since march 2007. didn't realize they knew my working conditions LOLOL it's some kind of weird mistake because i've never been in the military. today at work people had me make copies of it so they can share with their friends and families that it can be a war zone there LOLOL

tomorrow is my last day until january 4th. i will miss my friends and the structure - it's that depression thing i have going on - maybe i've mentioned it before? LOL

it has been so cold here. my furnace won't turn on - not that i'd use it. me and the boys are living in my bedroom with a small tv, my laptop, my cell, electric mattress cover, electric throw and 2 space heaters.

we do have a new addition to our home - a mini trampoline!!!!! it to lives in our bedroom. i'm having more fun with that tramp than anybody in the galaxy. i put on lynrd skynrd and rock out!!!! when free bird plays i'm at a concert. i recommend a mini tramp to all. it's such good exercise. it's been so cold and gets too dark to walk by the time i'm home from work.

more later from whatever combat zone i'm in!!!

karma

hey karma,
was good to see your post have missed you. where is man of music he must be stuck in a snow bank somewere. I can so relate to being depressed this time of year usually after Christmas taking down the tree. thinking I have nothing to look forward to. But this year I am looking forward to spring. I hate winter give me a 100 degrees any day. we have had some ice this morning not my cup of tea.

how do you keep your pipes from freezing not using your furnace. I have my heat on 73 and gas logs going too sometimes it is too warm.

husband says just as important to stay warm as cool in the summer. I am okay till I have a hot flash. wish I was off till the first of the year but you know it is going fast. have a good week end

forever young I like how your husband says its just as important to stay warm as it is to stay cool in the summer.

Hi karma, glad to hear from you. I love the letter you got from the IRS. Hilarious!
Glad to hear that you are having fun on your minitramp. My husband and son got rid of the one I would have had from my parents. I was not happy about that when I found out.

But so glad to hear you are doing fine in your cold house. Yikes! One person wanted to leave Florida and go west where it was warmer! That's pretty bad when that happens. Hope things warm up for you! Paislee