The Week in the Rear View Mirror

It's been such an odd week with Mama and the dogs up at the mountain house and Cody out of town. Pop went up to visit Mom on Tuesday night and it ended up just being me at this house and Marquee at her house (but of course I didn't mention it then because I didn't want to put us in the path of danger). Mom was staying up to get some things planted and to be up there for the Homeowners Association work day tomorrow (which looks like it's going to be rained out).

I've been a homebody as usual this week. I worked on Monday and Wednesday with the option of working today if I was able - and I'm not. I'll work the same schedule next week. I had a discussion with my Office Manager on Wednesday and let her know that I'm filing for disability (if my former neighbor will get back to me with the name of the attorney she used... ) and she was very supportive and willing for me to keep working whatever I'm able and offered to help me with any paperwork.

I say this so often that I know you're all sick of hearing it but having a work environment that is supportive and understanding is the one thing keeping me from jumping off a cliff at this point. They don't make me feel like a slacker or a loser. Everyone asks every single day how I'm feeling and they listen when I answer. It's such a simple thing but makes all the difference in the world.

I've had a little more housework this week with mom out of town. She's been keeping this house running for so long that "clean" just happens behind the scenes and you almost forget how much she does because she just makes it happen. I haven't vacuumed or mopped (not gonna risk it) but I've kept the kitchen clean and between Pop and myself we've made sure we ate. He made chili and pimento cheese for this week... I made a big pot of spaghetti. I was craving pizza yesterday so I treated myself to that... and he stopped on his way home from the golf course with an awesome smelling bbq sandwich (he offered to share but I was full since I had already eaten). I've been washing dishes twice a day - when the coffee is brewing and when I'm cooking dinner- and that's kept it to a manageable job.

The main chore that I've had to assume with Mom gone is cleaning out the litter box. It's not easy. It's heavy and requires a lot of bending over and all but I've managed to keep it under control. I need to check and make sure Pop carried the trash bag with the used litter out to the Herbie Curbie for me. He gets a D for trash management this week - Cody carried it out once and I'm not sure it's been carried out since and now it's overflowing. I pushed the heavy Herbie Curbie to the road on Wednesday morning and it was so stinkin' painful that it brought tears to my eyes. It's one of those things that Mama just seamlessly makes happen. She's a Domestic Goddess.

I taught Pop how to do laundry yesterday. I could have probably done it for him but you know that old adage "if you give a man a fish he eats for a meal but if you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime". Chances are good that for the rest of his life he's gonna have either me or mama around but it doesn't hurt for him to add something to his domestic skill set.

I also had to tell Mama how to cook a roast in the crock pot this week. It's surreal. All three of my boys could do their laundry and cook a decent roast from the time they were 12. That really shows you the way that a couple that has been married for 47 years takes care of each other: Mama keeps the laundry done and Pop keeps Mama fed and they never worry about learning how to do what the other does. As a single mom with three kids, everybody had to be able to do everything. My boys are the most capable young men you'll ever meet. They can do anything. They're even good shoppers having spent hours and hours shopping with me to costume shows. They are talented decorators. They inherited a mechanical skill set from their dad and they absorbed a domestic skill set from their gay dad and me. They're very well rounded young men.

I'm just glad that my parents need me and glad to be a part of a family again. All those years that it was just me and Austin... he and I made a lot of great memories... but teenagers are at the stage of life that they're working hard to get away from their parents. He hated hanging out with me. My mom, on the other hand, loves hanging out with me. She seems to want me around. And I have missed her so much this week! All those years that I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders trying to raise three boys and keep a roof over our heads... I don't carry those burdens any more. I still want to (and need to) be able to contribute to my own financial needs but I'm not going to starve and if I'm not able to clean the litter box, I know my mom is going to take care of it. I know there's a loser stigma attached to "living in your parents basement" but I'm ok with it. I was one of five kids. This is the first chance I've ever had to be an only child.

Anyways... so it's been another week of nesting for me... it's been lonely and quiet but I've had my little Sammy granddoggie to keep me company. Little Kitty keeps looking for Mawmaw every time the laudry door is open (he thinks that's her room) and he meows loudly when she's not in there. I tortured Sammy yesterday by saying the two words that always stop him in his tracks, "wet food"... I can't figure out how to post it here but I made a video of him reacting to "wet food"... so you'll just have to venture over to my facebook page to see it. It's hilarious!

Since I'm spending most of my time nesting and watching tv... I'm getting bored with my normal shows and websites that I use for entertainment. I'd love some suggestions of tv shows, movies or websites to check out... feel free to share your favorites with me, either here or via email or on facebook. (Audience participation time!).

Also, I did a little research on making this little blog a source of income in the months and months ahead with little income and no health insurance. Basically, you need to have about 500 followers and 100,000 hits a month to get the big ad companies interested. I'm still a long way from that but if you find my blog entertaining or interesting, would you share my link and encourage people to follow me? I'd be happy if I could be self-supporting. Are there topics you would like me to blog about? I want to play to my audience *wink*.

Anyways... better post this before the cat walks across the keyboard again. Happy Friday, y'all. My Yabba Dabba came on Wednesday afternoon but I'm still happy for you 9 to Fivers! Have a great weekend!