what lion, March?
Whoops! Haven't posted since the last day of February... So, what's been going on?
-March 1: L came back from NYC, hand in a cast and very frustrated about the entire experience (mainly that he didn't want to be there in the first place, the two days of shooting didn't justify being there for 10 days, and the broken hand, of course). I said that the best way for *both* of us to get through this month of rest and recovery was to stay positive. So far so good. He's rather delightful, actually. It's so nice to hear him laugh again.
-March 2: I turned 32. L and I went to dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant in Ann Arbor. People, the trout melted my face. So good. Sweet jezus.
Now. I was *supposed* to have a pinata/barn party sort of birthday, but I think I was asking too much of my friends in other locales. 0 for 3 could make it for a visit. Maybe they'll come out when it warms up and there's some farming to be seen. At the same time, I'm indifferent about seeing several of my closest NYC lady-friends again. They've done a terrible job to so much as return a phone call, and a text message here or there isn't really cutting it. I'm not being met half-way, but then again: I'm the one who left. Suffice to say that I'm not missing the culture of insincerity that pervades NYC. You can be a flake and a child forever there, which is something my Southern sensibilities could never accept or adopt.
In contrast, a handful of my guy friends in NYC have been doing great in terms of staying in touch. Interesting. Gender is probably neither here nor there, but I can't help but notice the divide. I've even received a care package from one. Super sweet.
So yeah, I've been thinking a lot about friendship and connections lately. I'm trying to get down to 'bama for a visit in late April (probably not Easter, as first anticipated); L needs to meet my mom and pals, and I am mad homesick for some Southern cooking, culture, and nature. I might also take a little weekend jaunt to Madison, WI to visit my cousin. It's my responsibility to keep up with my people, too.
-March 7: I received some unfortunate news from Reno, NV, where my grandfather and his wife live. There's a hearing early next month in which wife will try to be declared his person and estate's guardian, because he is legally incompetent due to his advanced state of Alzheimer's disease. Sad. And while I am a-ok with his wife being in charge of his medical decisions (she has been doing so for years), no one in the family is fine with her controlling his entire estate, worth potentially millions. Note: my grandfather refused to grant her Power of Attorney when he was lucid. Which obviously complicates things to the point of declaring him incompetent, a potential ward of the state, and prompting this guardianship hearing.
I suggest a guardian ad litem for both of them, considering the wife is 75 and not particularly well equipped to handle an increasingly violent and still strong 83 year-old veteran. I also recommend a medical trust, from which money can be withdrawn to cover both their medical expenses. My mom consulted with an attorney in NV yesterday and I'll know how that went tonight when she calls. Ugh. At least L can talk me through some of this, since he went through somewhat similar procedures with his mom. My friend T in Ann Arbor is also dealing with similar matters with her grandfather, plus she has a PhD in psychology and knows all about Alzheimer's, elderly care, and the system. Still, growing old and dying is brutal.
-Other days in March up to the present: snow, plowing, shoveling; rain, followed by snow melt; wood floor installation (looks great!); final trim and paint decisions; cooking, salmon being a highlight; plant care.
Oh yes, and Morrison went bonkers on the kitchen counter one night and broke two dinner plates and a bowl. What the hell, cat? He does not make his place in the household easy. (Granted, I should have put those dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher.) L has taken to calling him "Professor Poopy Paws," which is funny yet not functionally accurate--cat's avoid stepping on their own poo at all costs. Plus, he never finished his Master's because Google plucked him out of grad school for his obvious and incredible genius. Just sayin'.
-March 1: L came back from NYC, hand in a cast and very frustrated about the entire experience (mainly that he didn't want to be there in the first place, the two days of shooting didn't justify being there for 10 days, and the broken hand, of course). I said that the best way for *both* of us to get through this month of rest and recovery was to stay positive. So far so good. He's rather delightful, actually. It's so nice to hear him laugh again.
-March 2: I turned 32. L and I went to dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant in Ann Arbor. People, the trout melted my face. So good. Sweet jezus.
Now. I was *supposed* to have a pinata/barn party sort of birthday, but I think I was asking too much of my friends in other locales. 0 for 3 could make it for a visit. Maybe they'll come out when it warms up and there's some farming to be seen. At the same time, I'm indifferent about seeing several of my closest NYC lady-friends again. They've done a terrible job to so much as return a phone call, and a text message here or there isn't really cutting it. I'm not being met half-way, but then again: I'm the one who left. Suffice to say that I'm not missing the culture of insincerity that pervades NYC. You can be a flake and a child forever there, which is something my Southern sensibilities could never accept or adopt.
In contrast, a handful of my guy friends in NYC have been doing great in terms of staying in touch. Interesting. Gender is probably neither here nor there, but I can't help but notice the divide. I've even received a care package from one. Super sweet.
So yeah, I've been thinking a lot about friendship and connections lately. I'm trying to get down to 'bama for a visit in late April (probably not Easter, as first anticipated); L needs to meet my mom and pals, and I am mad homesick for some Southern cooking, culture, and nature. I might also take a little weekend jaunt to Madison, WI to visit my cousin. It's my responsibility to keep up with my people, too.
-March 7: I received some unfortunate news from Reno, NV, where my grandfather and his wife live. There's a hearing early next month in which wife will try to be declared his person and estate's guardian, because he is legally incompetent due to his advanced state of Alzheimer's disease. Sad. And while I am a-ok with his wife being in charge of his medical decisions (she has been doing so for years), no one in the family is fine with her controlling his entire estate, worth potentially millions. Note: my grandfather refused to grant her Power of Attorney when he was lucid. Which obviously complicates things to the point of declaring him incompetent, a potential ward of the state, and prompting this guardianship hearing.
I suggest a guardian ad litem for both of them, considering the wife is 75 and not particularly well equipped to handle an increasingly violent and still strong 83 year-old veteran. I also recommend a medical trust, from which money can be withdrawn to cover both their medical expenses. My mom consulted with an attorney in NV yesterday and I'll know how that went tonight when she calls. Ugh. At least L can talk me through some of this, since he went through somewhat similar procedures with his mom. My friend T in Ann Arbor is also dealing with similar matters with her grandfather, plus she has a PhD in psychology and knows all about Alzheimer's, elderly care, and the system. Still, growing old and dying is brutal.
-Other days in March up to the present: snow, plowing, shoveling; rain, followed by snow melt; wood floor installation (looks great!); final trim and paint decisions; cooking, salmon being a highlight; plant care.
Oh yes, and Morrison went bonkers on the kitchen counter one night and broke two dinner plates and a bowl. What the hell, cat? He does not make his place in the household easy. (Granted, I should have put those dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher.) L has taken to calling him "Professor Poopy Paws," which is funny yet not functionally accurate--cat's avoid stepping on their own poo at all costs. Plus, he never finished his Master's because Google plucked him out of grad school for his obvious and incredible genius. Just sayin'.