Random Thoughts From a Cluttered Mind

Lions and Tigers and...

Algebra books? Oh, my.  Yup, another school semester has started,  This semester I'm taking two in-school courses and one on-line course.  English Comp. I and College Algebra and Trigonometry (phew!) require my presence in the classroom, and Intro to Info Tech is a 100% on-line course.  The homework is just as you can imagine (remember back...waaaaaaaay back).  I have taken some hybrid courses in the past semester (half online and half in-class), but I've never taken one that was fully online.  It's a little different experience, as I have to schedule my own time to get the work done.  So far, I am managing to finish, but it's a little weird to not have an actual instructor right there with me.

College Algebra & Trig is just as scary now as it was 30-something years ago.  I got to purchase a graphing calculator, which, for you non-geek types, is a very expensive little computer-type machine that does almost everything but the laundry.  Now I have to learn how to use it! (I'm tempted to ask Kelsie for lessons.)

English Composition is all about writing.  Essays more essays, and a research paper (!!!).  I have never, ever written a research paper, ever.  In my life. Never.  I don't have a clue.  Hopefully, I won't face-plant this class.  The instructor seems nice enough, so that helps.

On the home front, we have somehow mysteriously acquired two rabbits.  (I wasn't looking, and they just showed up.  Ask Debbi.)  They are very cute and fun to play with.  Have a look.

The white one is a Jersey Woolly name Bela Labunny and the black one's name is Gizmo.  Gizmo actually belongs to Debbi's nephew David, but they get along well so they share the cage.

That's all the news there is for now.  I'll let you know if anything else exciting happens around here.  I might even knit something!

I'm back...

Just in time to leave on vacation!  My wife is so wonderful that she's letting me go to North Carolina for two weeks! (Mostly because she gets the bed to herself the whole time and doesn't have to listen to me snore...) Anyway...

A lot has happened since my last post.  School is over for the semester, and I'm pretty sure I passed.  I've had 2 CT scans AND an Ultrasound, and there's STILL no sign of the beer keg that's supposedly growing in there.  Maybe I'm just fat. (Yup, I said that out loud.)  The economic situation is still not looking very good, but I did get called back to work (for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!!!) and got laid off again.

I rediscovered facebook, and found a bunch of old friends that I haven't seen since I moved from New Hampshire, and some from high school.  Camp has opened for the season, and there will be a lot going on there all summer.  Oh, yeah, and I knit a sock. Yup, a whole sock, start to finish, all by myself. 

 Wanna see?  Of course you do. It's called "Niblet" sock pattern and I knit it in Berocco Ultra Alpaca on size 5 needles.

 

I even finished it and then gave it away. (I'm finishing the second one now. Really, Crystal.)

I took this test on facebook and got this result...

Mary took the "What Month Were You Born?" quiz and the result is July.

You're fun to be with, secretive and difficult to fathom and understand. You're also quiet unless excited or tensed. You take pride in yourself. You're easily, consoled, honest, and you tend to be concerned about people's feelings. You're tactful, friendly, and approachable. You may tend to be emotional temperamental and unpredictable. You're easily hurt, witty, and sparkly. You tend to be spazzy at times. Luckily you aren't revengeful. You're forgiving but you never forget. You dislike nonsensical and unnecessary things. You guide others physically and mentally. You're caring, loving, and sensitive. You treat others equally, and have a strong sense of sympathy. You're wary and sharp. You tend to judge people through observations. You're hard working and have no difficulty studying. You love to be with friends. You're not aggressive unless provoked. You love to be loved. You're easily hurt and you take a long time to recover.

 

Do you think that's accurate????

School Daze

I registered (again) for 2 college courses this semester.  Class started last Wednesday, and we already had a snow day!  This does not seem to me to be a good omen. On the other hand, I got all 77 homework problems right!  TA-DAA!  Algebra II, mind you.  It helps that I had a great math teacher in high school, and apparently I possess a fairly good long-term memory.

My other course is titled Computer Applications.  Now, I have been using a computer for many reasons for many years, so I am reasonably familiar with quite a few applications.  This course is basically teaching the differences between Microsoft's Office 2003 and Office 2007.  It seems like there should be more to it for the price. Ah, well, the cost of higher education is a subject for another time.

I'm pretty sure that my mom would be proud of me, so I am going to be daring and be proud of myself.  I'll keep you all posted on my grades.

Oh, and I'm knitting a sock...all by myself.

If At First ...

...Try, Try Again.  Or something like that.  Today I registered for college courses again.  I'll be taking two classes at Northern Essex Community College at night, toward a degree in Computer Information Technology, and a certificate in Computer Forensics.  With some luck and good karma, I'll be a student starting in January.  Isn't that exciting?

Life goes on as usual.  The major difference for me (and it's HUGE) is that I can't call Mom with the news, every time something happens.  Like registering for college.  Like Kelsie getting accepted into the National Honor Society (I sooooo wanted that in high school).  Like I still can't find a job but I got an extension on my unemployment benefits.  Any of that.  I can't call and brag, complain, whine, laugh, cry, tell bad jokes, pick on my siblings, bitch about the cats, nothing.  And that sucks very much, people.

Everyone says "time heals".  Maybe that's true.  I'll let you know in ten or fiften years.

My Mom-Frances M. Houlihan April 22, 1931-October 17, 2008

Last post I mentioned how my mom decided to walk alone and fractured a lumbar.  The consequences of this was that the liver cancer metastasized into her back.  In other words, the Big C was large and in charge. She couldn't eat or walk, and she could barely speak.  Mom lost her struggle on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 4:45 PM.

My mother was a truly remarkable woman.  In addition to raising 8 children (all with the same father), she decided back in the early 70's to go back to school.  She took night courses at Somerville High School, and then enrolled in a course to become a Licensed Practical Nurse.  After working as an LPN for a few years, she learned of a brand new Nursing course starting at Bunker Hill Community College.  She applied for admission in 1974, and was enrolled in the very first graduating Nursing class in BHCC history.  She graduated with Honors in 1977 and also designed the Class Pin, which is still in use today.

Mom then went to work in her chosen field, starting at Mount Auburn Hospital as a night shift Nurse, and found employment at Doctors' Offices, including Dr. Joel Bleier of Medford, and Dr. Timothy Crane, late of Cambridge.  Mom loved her patients and corresponded with them regularly, even after retirement.

Mom's last employer before she retired was The Visiting Nurse Association of Somerville.  She was the Intake Coordinator for that organization for many years, and made many wonderful friends.  Her boss, Linda Cornell, said she always had a place at their facility if she needed it.

Mom also enjoyed Ceramics Classes in her spare time.  She had been a Thursday morning class member at Cozy Corner Ceramic Studio in Medford for many years.  Many people have been recipients of her pieces over time.

Through all of her 56 years of married life, she loved her husband, my Dad, and her 8 children more than anything.  She worked and sacrificed, and still managed to keep us all together as a family.  She never lost her sense of humor, even through difficult times.

She was my best friend, and I will miss her terribly.

The Continuing Saga

Last week, my mother decided (in her most Taurus-like way) that she would like to walk herself to the commode at the other end of the room at 5:30 AM.  The inevitable happened; the walker slipped and down she went.  After many hours in the emergency room at Mount Auburn Hospital, it was determined that she had a lumbar fracture.  She was admitted that night and on Monday had a procedure called a vertebroplasty to fix it.  Now she's been transferred to the Rehab at Youville Hospital to continue treatment. With a lot of luck and many prayers, she'll be able to see her home again.

In the meantime, I got to go home and be with my family while Mom's in the hospital.  The kids seem to have mixed feelings about this;  they're glad I'm there until I wake them up to go to school.  Then I'm back to "evil step-mom".  I have to admit that it's one of my favorite parts of the day ;-).  The cats are completely confused-I'm here, I'm gone, I'm here, I'm gone. Sometimes they sit on my chest while I'm sleeping, then ignore me for hours ('til they're hungry, then I am FAVORITE HUMAN!).  Other times, all 4 of them follow me around the house like they're in a parade and yell at me all day. It's all very amusing, and I miss them all, wife, kids and cats, when I'm not here.

Before all this drama started, Debbi and I had decided to start our own business.  I am now a Certified Tupperware Consultant.  I even have my own website, http://my.tupperware.com/mhoulihan.  Feel free to browse the site and order yourself some money-saving products! And stop laughing!

Once upon a time...

I started a blog.  I was going to post every day.  Right.  A lot has happened since then, some good, some bad. Last month (yikes) I told you all that I was going back to school.  Unfortunately, I have had to delay that for a while.  On August 28, my mother was diagnosed with liver cancer.  Mind you, she went to the doctor because she thought her ulcer was acting up, and that's why she had no appetite.

On September 9, she received her prognosis.  Inoperable, Stage 4, Primary Liver Cancer (HCC), with one year or less to live, maybe a few months extra if the new medicine works. WTF????

I have been staying at my parents house from Monday evening through Friday afternoons since then.  Debbi and the kids have been wonderful in their support of me through this.  The cats are simply confused and can't quite figure out why I go away and come back.  They make up for it on Monday morning by sitting on me because I am there (of course, the sitting starts around 3:45AM and continues until I get out of bed).

Caring for elderly parents (or grandparents) isn't easy when they're healthy, but it's multiplied by 100 when they are ill.  The emotional toll is immense.  Thankfully, I have a strong wife and strong and understanding children (stepchildren, technically) that are helping me through.  I also have seven brothers and sisters, who have been great (mostly) during this.  We all know, at least my sisters know, that it's only going to get worse.  My brothers?   One has lost weight, but I don't know why, one is still an asshole, one gets it and doesn't know what to do, and the other one, the smartest but also the youngest, knows exactly what's going down and is scared shitless. My sisters are also scared shitless, but they come over and cook, because they know I can't.

My father is a total trainwreck.  He met my mother at Somerville High School in 1945 in homeroom class. He was sixteen; she was not quite fifteen. They have been married for 56 years.  They have lived in the same house for 50 years.  They worked and saved and scrimped and raised 8 children in that house with 9 rooms and only one (!!!) bathroom.  And it all comes down to a year or less.  Sometimes life really does suck.

It's Been A While

Did you even notice I wasn't here?  I thought not. Humph!  Well, while I was away, I knitted a row and a half (!!!), had a birthday {:( }, and registered for college(?).  I figured that the only way to find a job at this point was to acquire some marketable skills. Am I excited?  Yes.  Am I scared? Right to death!  Fortunately, I have a really smart 16 year old to help me with my Algebra homework (of course, I haven't told her yet!)

We've been camping every weekend, and except for the rain, it's been fun.  If you've read Debbi's blog, you know about the tornados that went ripping through the area.  They touched down about 5 miles from our campground, and did lots of damage.  She also posted about the wedding, which was very nice, and this past weekend we had a pig roast that we forgot to bring the camera to (I am sooooo bad).

Today I have stitch markers to make for one of Debbi's swaps, and tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment (maybe I can get that thyroid to work again!)  And then...classes start in 3 weeks!

What Was I Doing?

I saw this on a Ravelry forum post and just had to have it....(No, I think I already have it)

A.A.A.D.D. – Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests: I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I’d been drinking.
I’m going to look for my checks but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over. The Coke is getting warm so I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, A vase of flowers on the counter Catches my eye—they need water. I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, But first I’ll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers and quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: The car isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers don’t have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys. Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all damn day, And I’m really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, And I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I’ll check my e-mail….

I'm off to enjoy a week of camping solo, ust me and the birds.  Debbi's coming up on the weekend, but I'm staying all week.  Maybe I'll get some work done!

The Little Banner At The Top

It reminded me that today is our Second Anniversary!!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SWEETIE!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!