I made it home

[cornerofmadness]

It was bright and sunny, too much so. 4 hours of driving west into the sun made my eyes ache but I made it home without a problem and saw my dumb solar panel Christmas lights were actually working.

Thank you all for the condolences. They're much appreciated.

I turned up the heat when i got here, only to find something had gotten into the duct work AGAIN and the heater blew a nest of insulation and chewed plastic all over both bedrooms and the bathroom. Nothing says fun after a 4 hour drive than having to pick fiberglass from your register grates with pliers.


I was thinking about one of the last things my grandmother said to me. "All My friends are dead." and she cried. She is right. Helen died last week. Two other friends will be at the funeral along with grandma's last surviving inlaw, all of whom are younger (89-92) and the oldest friend (101) is in the hospital dying of pneumonia.

Her very last words were in Italian.

We emptied out her room today because they charge 300$/day to leave stuff in there even if no one is in it. Ah assisted living, you blow sometimes.

I did this snowflake challenge so I'm not just here being sad and sucking up my neighbors' smoke (thru these faulty rodent infested ducts) Here

And I found two songs from the year grandma was born...glad entertainment has changed. Just saying.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Is wondering how much fiberglass and rodent shit has been blasted into my bed...

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Eww to the rodent in your vents.

Your poor grandma. I kind of worry about that myself, sometimes.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

There is a price to pay for such a long life. I guess you never know. I just had one of my better students graduate. He's younger than me but not by all that much and his graduation post on FB was sad because both his parents are already gone.

As for me, the women in my family live a long time but with my illnesses maybe not so much. But I do worry about it not just for me but for a lot of us. A lot of my friends are childless, single women and that's going to weigh badly in the so called golden years

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Mom said she's glad she doesn't live in FL any more, because all her friends down there have died (or moved out of state). I remember when a few of them died, but I was unaware all but one or two are now gone.

Women in my family live to be around their 80s-90s, I think. Maybe. I don't know. Grandma wasn't that old, I don't think. But Aunt Beck lived forever.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah it's a tough tough thing to outlive all your friends

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

That's why you need friends of all ages.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

agreed

[sonjajade.livejournal.com]

I like the second song/commentary thing. She was so snarky lol.

Assisted living people are assholes at the end. So sorry for the fiberglass bullshit and the bad stuff in general. *smoke free hugs from fiberglass free hoodie arms*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

She definitely is

Yeah, I mean I worked in them for years and it's like I know it's a business but my god you can take a day or two off and let a family cope.

thank you. I'm STILL annoyed about this fiberglass shit. Last time he didn't believe me. I stuck it in a bag and I'm giving it to the landlord

[sp23.livejournal.com]

When my mom was dying in the nursing home, they moved her to I guess you'd call it their 'dying room' so that we could all be there with her privately in her last hours. After she died and we went up to her room, they already had all her shit packed up in boxes.

I'm single and childless, and even though I have a dozen nephews and nieces, I fear that I'll be dependent on total strangers should I live that long. It sucks and it really does weigh on my mind.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

This place didn't have something like that though they should or at least a rollaway cot or something. Geez, I'm not sure if it's better they packed or insulting.

I hear you. I'm the same and no nieces or nephews. It preys on my mind too

[sp23.livejournal.com]

My brothers and I were kind of shocked. It was like, Jesus, her body isn't even cold yet, and you guys were busy little beavers clearing out her area. It was nice we didn't have to do it ourselves, but still...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

They could have asked or said this is our policy or something. You're lucky they didn't already have someone jammed in there before she was gone

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

So empty, that empty room you go into to remove your loved one's belongings. Their stuff is there, but they aren't, just that empty, sometimes rumpled bed.

It took me fifteen minutes to work up the courage to go into my father's hospice room. In and out like a robot, and straight to the Good Will.

Now I just have the happy memories, and his good back-scratcher.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It's very hard. Grandma's stuff is going right to Planet Aid as soon as we get it bagged up. Well the clothes. The rest of the house remains but that's the house and no rush (we've been working on that for a while now)

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

That's sooo nasty about the rodents! ^^;

She spoke to you in Italian? I wonder if she was a little girl again in her head... But that is sad all her friends had passed.

Wow! You just lost a loved one & they want you to remove all trace of them, yes, there's probably someone waiting for that room, but still. Like you said, let the family cope! *wonders when compassion went out the door*

I'm glad you made it home okay. Sorry work is pain in the arse but what can you do? *huggles*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It's very nasty. Dumb rodents

Yes, either a little girl again or her mother had come for her. My great grandmother did speak English but preferred Italian.

yeah seriously. A few days of no-fees on the room would be the right thing to do but I've yet to see one do it.

not much to do but my work. thanks

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

Yeah XD

Aaah... I like the idea that her mom came for her.

*nods* That's unbelievable, they really should.

Okay. You're welcoem.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

So do we. My grandfather came for my other grandmother. I asked dad about this guy I saw in her room as she was dying and described him and it was my grandfather who died years before I was born and I had never seen (we DID get a picture of him at grandma's funeral. Some distant cousin had a pic).

It is.

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

*nods* Yeah? That's really cool! (I'm glad you got a pic of him)

*nods*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

me too. thanks

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!