How many walls does this house have?! Far too many. I'll never be done painting. At least, not before I leave for the holidays. I haven't finished my gift shopping either. The girls were easy to buy for this year, but I have no idea what to get for any of the boys. Well, ok, maybe one. He's easy. But the rest? No idea. Holy crap. Stress.
I'm leaving Friday for California & it's not a moment too soon, temperature-wise. It was FIVE degrees when I woke up this morning. FIVE. That's too fucking cold!! Knock on wood, though, the oil burner is working & the house is warm.
Meanwhile, in California, my mother is driving my brother & sister-in-law crazy. She's belligerent. If she doesn't straighten up they're going to put her in a Home for Elderly Delinquents. They threatened her the other day that they would send her back to NJ to live with me. Thanks! Mom, I know you won't read this, but for the love of God (look, I even capitalized it for you!), please, stop being so defiant. I know you have a brain disease & all, but it doesn't mean you have to roll your eyes every time someone tells you to do something. It's for your own good, ok? We all love & care about you. We don't want you walking around in public in clothes that are inside out. You may not believe us when we tell you, but milk tastes much better than Malox on cereal.
You know, it's odd, this Alzheimer's. It's hard to tell sometimes where the person's personality ends & the disease begins. The line is very blurred. Like, most people who know my mother would find it hard to believe she would be disagreeable. She usually comes across as very sweet & easy-going. On the other hand, this is the same woman who, in her early twenties, caught tuberculosis, lost a lung, and was told by her doctor never to have children because her body couldn't handle the stress. She completely defied her doctor's orders & had three - the last one (me) at age 45. And we're all still kicking. So this newfound defiance of hers may not be new at all. Actually, it's sometimes funny & kind of refreshing in small doses, but not when you're exhausted from being the primary caretaker day after day. Now my sister-in-law & brother know why I used to call them crying every three months & saying I needed a break. Sigh. What do I know. It's past my bedtime.
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