Absent blogger

Mindless stream of thoughts....

Let's just say I have my hands full lately. Between the fall push, school starting for Jason, football, covering an extra part of a territory, and family drama. I just haven't had any time to blog or do much of anything else.

Football means 5 day a week practices in August and then games on Saturdays and 3 day a week practices in September and October. I just drove back from Chicago today, so we bailed on the school open house, but I had to go up there for at least a half hour meeting on the spring trip to DC. Which of course, I just found out about yesterday. This started as an 8th grade trip (actually it used to be a 7th grade trip to Toronto, but passport laws as they are today), but they are sending 7th and 8th grade this year. And, Jason wants me to chaperone. I really love to help out and am happy that he still wants me to be part of these events that will give him so many memories. I usually chaperone one field trip a year, but boy what a doozy (and pricey) of a trip. I actually went to DC with honor society in 8th grade, so I am excited that he gets to experience the adventure. The downside is that I plan on being in Seattle for ACRL March 12 - 14 and the DC trip is 16 - 19. I will be off a plane, have one day to do laundry (thank goodness for that day!!) and then we will be on a bus at 5 am the 16th. Should be interesting, but I am sure it will be a great time!

I have also been covering part of northern Illinois and Chicago, but thank goodness the regular rep is coming back at the end of the month. I have missed working in that area, but I have just been swamped and had no time to breathe. My boss actually left me a message today asking me to call him back. I left him a voice mail letting him know that I had been back in town for 45 minutes, was on my way to a football scrimmage, and had a meeting at 6:3o at the school. I mentioned I would be happy to talk to him after that, so he sent me an e-mail. He is a pretty smart guy :-)

Football is still a political mess, but at least we are working through it. I am co-managing the team and starting to think that was a mistake. I am used to doing everything and not trusting that anyone else will do anything (I know, minor control issues). So, I figure my counterpart goes to the practices and is basically plays the team mom, while I manage paperwork, rosters, lists, etc. The problem is that I send out the paperwork requests, schedule changes, what have you and make sure that the e-mail is also sent to her so that she knows what I am working on. Two days later she will call me or e-mail me that that called all of the parents for the same information that I e-mailed about, in a hurry, on my way out the door. If she was going to do it anyway, I wouldn't have bothered. I love the woman, but she is getting on my last nerve.

Come to find out Jess thinks that his Mom is not really in remission and she is just telling everyone that so that they won't push her on why she is not doing chemo. I think at this point, she has just accepted the inevitable and is trying not to add to the $100,000 of debt that they now have due to the cancer - that had now actually spread to her knees. The doctor told Jess that he has never seen this type of cancer ever go into remission and that the chemo just prolongs her life for a little while. She is supposed to go back in November, so hopefully we will know more then.

Lastly, my Stepmom and I had to put my Dad in the hospital last week for what we thought were hallucinations due to a new pain medication that is known to cause insomnia and hallucinations. He had already called the cops on people that were in his house that weren't really there. He was verbally vicious and threatened my stepmom to me over the phone. It was an empty threat and he hadn't been physical, but verbal threats were still enough to make me worry since he was not a sane state of mind. For his own safety and hers we did what we had to do. He drove himself to the hospital (because he wouldn't ride with us), signed the ER paperwork, and based on the triage nurse and doctore evaluation she and I had to admit him. Her signature, but both of our names are on the petition. We expected the drug to wear off after a couple of days and then, based on our research, he would snap out of it. Wrong, he woke up pissed, blocked all communication and blocked all information going to her or I. One week later and a judge has dicatated that he belongs in the hospital and the lines of communication are slowly opening up. I found out today that there have been no improvement and they are thinking that this is something more severe than a side effect. I am going to go to the hospital to see if he will see me tomorrow - cross your fingers, since he wouldn't return my phone call. Also, pray that I have the patience with him that I need and don't take his ramblings to heart. He just gets so nasty right now that I am thinking my Stepmom may be earning Sainthood. I need to just keep telling myself that he does understand reality and that he doesn't know what he is saying.

MIL news

Hey all, just wanted to let everyone know that I received the news yesterday that my Ex-Mother in Law is in remission. They are watching her closely and she needs to go back in three months for tests, but the news is good for now.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

I will write more later.