Oy Vey!

What a Week!!!
So, against all odds and despite my concerns we managed to get all of our stuff loaded into the van (with the sad exception of my lovely washer/dryer *sniffle* looks like I'll be laundr-o-matting it like the old days) Leigh DID make enchiladas after all (I had my doubts but he proved me wrong in typically delicious fashion) and we even got the old homestead relatively presentable/clean...GIGANIMOUS thanks to Kirk for all of his help!!!! I'll miss the funny little noises he makes when he lifts heavy things....
ffwd to 4 am. left bright and early and made it to P-town for a final gettogether w/ LGK's clan and had an impromptu "hike" in the arboretum area...saw the biggest monkey puzzle tree ever, and said goodbye to the hobo-king....
tearful a'revoirs (sp?) all around and on the road again...
we made the drive to SLUT in two days (I am not so much with the long distance driving...I'm a bit of a car "napper" and when you're driving? I hear that's not a great idea) so we made lots of stops and I drank a LOT of coffee/soda...we made it into town on Monday afternoon...and GIGANIMOUS thanks go to our good buddy Jerry for all of his help UN-loading!!
In a perfect world we would have had a week, just to pack up all of Oma's stuff to make room for all of our stuff, but as it's worked out, the house is just jampacked with chaos right now. Boxes Boxes and more Boxes...I've been sorting through Oma's stuff and boxing the upstairs up (you'd be AMAZED at how one little lady can have SO much stuff!! I mean this is a big house and it's PACKED with STUFF!!!) This whole packrat thing must be genetic. And she buys multiples of everything!!
On the plus side: While living here, I will NEVER have to buy envelopes, tape, white thread, aluminum foil or sugar cubes.
you can never have too many sugar cubes.
So, it's been an incredibly busy week...and a tumultuous one. My first week here as "caregiver" and it's already been an emotional rollercoaster.
Got in Monday, visited Oma, unpacked
Tuesday...went to visit Oma at the care center....she wasn't there!!! and none of the fine personnel could tell me WHERE THE FRACK she WAS!! turns out she'd had chest pains and was taken to the ER. Fantastic. I was pretty sure this was it and she was having a heart attack. Thank goodness that was not the case... Spent the day at the ER with her, getting tests and fluids drained (rrrmmmm...) then got her settled back at the care center.
While at the ER I was apparently exposed to some kind of nasty bug, coupled with stress and exhaustion I was LAID OUT on Wednesday (nastiness! both ends....'nuff said)
Thursday, still felt like crap...kept unpacking...
midnight...get a phonecall from Oma...she's having chest pains and is pretty sure she's "goin' home" and by "home" I don't mean the house...so I rush to the care center @ 1:00 am and get her calmed down/medicated...now she's ok..not going to the bright light afterall....
All of this going on while I'm trying to get her house clean/organized/ready for her to come home this coming Monday....
Friday....Max catches the gombuu and I'm still having residual effects (debilitating tummy cramps) Leigh got to go out with buddies though and I think he had a good time - gawd knows he deserves it! I got to briefly see Unka Jeff & Barndogg (sorry that I missed the lovely Charity) Can't wait to spend more time with these great friends!
(on a side note: LGK got a job working for our friend Jerry already so he's been out cleaning carpets and making a hard-earned buck or two! Manly labor! *swoon*)
Yesterday was ok...went to the laundromat, which happens to be right next to a delightfull little coffee shop/french bakery...nothing like sipping a lemonade and sharing a fresh baguette with Molly while waiting for our clothes to dry. And on another positive note, the dryers at this laundromat actually dry your clothes!! for less than a small fortune!!!
Everyone's exhausted and Max is still sick.
Today...Leigh gets the Crud.
It's definitely making the rounds...and at the most inopportune time to say the least.
But, today I feel better and I've almost got things organized enough to move Oma home tomorrow. Oxygen and potty chairs and wheelchairs to be delivered tomorrow morning. There's still a TON of stuff to do and I'm sure that this "ride" will continue to be a tumultuous one but tomorrow...Oma gets to come home and that's the important part.