Life, the Universe, and Everything
So, I'm going to take a break from cursing the current temperature in my room and other important things that I was doing to talk about something in my family that's been happening lately. If you don't want to hear about my pending familial loss, then by all means, skip down or out.
Anyways, I have a grandfather. Actually, I have two, but the one I'm talking about at the moment is the older one, and he's 87. He was in World War Two as a typist, and he got out of the fighting because he was one of the only guys when they asked who knew how to use a typewriter. He got stuck typing up this General's memoirs, which was one hell of a way to make a guy serve his country. Kind of ridiculous. Anyways, he was supposed to go on the Honor Flight to DC in April, but didn't go for reasons I will talk about shortly. I have a step-great-uncle who went on that April flight, and he loved it. As much as the family is hoping that Grandpa will be well enough to go on the September flight, we greatly doubt it will happen. Of course, I have a great-uncle who is in his 90's and was in the middle of the fighting in World War Two, and oh dear Lord, don't mention the Honor Flights to him or he will have a fit (but he does have a point, actually).
So. A few months ago, my grandpa went to the doctor because he was having vision problems. The doctor went, checked it out, did scans and stuff, and then said that he was completely blind in his left eye, and it looks like Grandpa had actually had some sort of stroke about 8 months before. Not long after that, Grandpa started to get more and more confused and weak. At one point he thought I was a boy stranger! Of course, I had my hair in a ponytail at that time, but...Anyways, he got to the point where we figured he wouldn't manage the flight on his own. So he didn't go.
When May came around, he couldn't attend my graduation. But that was okay, I understood. And my family bought a video so that he and my aunt could watch me graduate. On the day my family came up, my grandpa had a hospital scare but it wasn't as bad as they thought it was and just meant he needed to take some pills and drink more prune juice (yuck).
A week later (last Sunday), I got a call saying he was in the hospital because he'd had a transient ischemic attack (or TIA, or 'little stroke'), which is often a precursor for a larger stroke. However, the hospital said there was nothing they could really do, so they kept him overnight and that was it. They also said that if he had another attack in the near future, he wouldn't need to go to the hospital unless he fell, but to keep an eye on him. So, we're keeping an eye on him. A few days later, he had another TIA. A few days later, another TIA. A day or two later, another TIA. They're getting closer and closer together and occurring more often, which is very worrying.
I plan on driving down tomorrow to spend some time with him. I know my mom will have a fit that I'm driving down in the lovely car that was loaned to me (Thank you, Grandma!) but that's tough luck. As it is, my stepdad is covering for me. He is such an awesome guy. He's practically a saint.
So, from there into more personal territory (which leave now or forever hold your peace unless you for some ungodly reason that you sure as hell better not tell me want to know about my nonexistent sex life).
For awhile now, I've been wondering about my sexuality. I know that I'm predominantly straight, so no problems there. The thing is, I've wondered something about myself for over a year and recently began researching both suspicions, primarily because one of my professors began to talk about one of the prospects in terms of herself and someone began talking about this prospect fairly often because she was writing something incorporating it.
Anyways, I may have figured it out, but I'm not entirely certain so I'm giving it time. But, I broached the whole sexuality thing in general to my mom, and discovered that I wasn't that surprised that she claimed everyone who was not straight and/or not sexual was a "fruit loop." One of my bi friends has claimed digs on the purple fruit loop, so if anyone else wants to join the fruit loop brigade, you'll have to pick a different color. The next day, my stepdad showed that he is much more open by asking me about if I had any boyfriends or girlfriends. I laughed quite a bit, and assured him that the girlfriend thing would probably never apply to my significant other.
However, my mom said something that quite irritated me. Okay, let me just say that I don't want kids. I don't plan on it, and to be honest the only kids I like are the ones that I can give back eventually, like my brother. Although my brother is adorable and already out of the really obnoxious stages (the baby stages). So, the chances of me having kids from my own body is quite low. My mom wants grandkids that, and I quote, "have [her] blood flowing in the veins" and she would have a fit if I adopted or did invitro or whatever. Arghhhhhh. Its bad enough that I recently found out that my dad is making me the guardian of my brother if anything ever happens to both him and the ex. Here, have some pre-made offspring! Bah. My dad made a similar comment, although his was more along the lines of me probably changing my mind when I got older. Which is possible, but I have to have a boyfriend/fiance/husband in order for that to happen. Bah.
My back has been driving me nuts lately--its so hard to get to sleep at night and seriously distracts me from my writing. Plus, I can't find a job in Iowa that pays well or is in my field. There are a few jobs that I want that I've found, but they're far enough out of state that I can't afford to move there. Oh well. I'll figure out something. I'm sure someone would hire a wayward biology major.
Anyways, I have a grandfather. Actually, I have two, but the one I'm talking about at the moment is the older one, and he's 87. He was in World War Two as a typist, and he got out of the fighting because he was one of the only guys when they asked who knew how to use a typewriter. He got stuck typing up this General's memoirs, which was one hell of a way to make a guy serve his country. Kind of ridiculous. Anyways, he was supposed to go on the Honor Flight to DC in April, but didn't go for reasons I will talk about shortly. I have a step-great-uncle who went on that April flight, and he loved it. As much as the family is hoping that Grandpa will be well enough to go on the September flight, we greatly doubt it will happen. Of course, I have a great-uncle who is in his 90's and was in the middle of the fighting in World War Two, and oh dear Lord, don't mention the Honor Flights to him or he will have a fit (but he does have a point, actually).
So. A few months ago, my grandpa went to the doctor because he was having vision problems. The doctor went, checked it out, did scans and stuff, and then said that he was completely blind in his left eye, and it looks like Grandpa had actually had some sort of stroke about 8 months before. Not long after that, Grandpa started to get more and more confused and weak. At one point he thought I was a boy stranger! Of course, I had my hair in a ponytail at that time, but...Anyways, he got to the point where we figured he wouldn't manage the flight on his own. So he didn't go.
When May came around, he couldn't attend my graduation. But that was okay, I understood. And my family bought a video so that he and my aunt could watch me graduate. On the day my family came up, my grandpa had a hospital scare but it wasn't as bad as they thought it was and just meant he needed to take some pills and drink more prune juice (yuck).
A week later (last Sunday), I got a call saying he was in the hospital because he'd had a transient ischemic attack (or TIA, or 'little stroke'), which is often a precursor for a larger stroke. However, the hospital said there was nothing they could really do, so they kept him overnight and that was it. They also said that if he had another attack in the near future, he wouldn't need to go to the hospital unless he fell, but to keep an eye on him. So, we're keeping an eye on him. A few days later, he had another TIA. A few days later, another TIA. A day or two later, another TIA. They're getting closer and closer together and occurring more often, which is very worrying.
I plan on driving down tomorrow to spend some time with him. I know my mom will have a fit that I'm driving down in the lovely car that was loaned to me (Thank you, Grandma!) but that's tough luck. As it is, my stepdad is covering for me. He is such an awesome guy. He's practically a saint.
So, from there into more personal territory (which leave now or forever hold your peace unless you for some ungodly reason that you sure as hell better not tell me want to know about my nonexistent sex life).
For awhile now, I've been wondering about my sexuality. I know that I'm predominantly straight, so no problems there. The thing is, I've wondered something about myself for over a year and recently began researching both suspicions, primarily because one of my professors began to talk about one of the prospects in terms of herself and someone began talking about this prospect fairly often because she was writing something incorporating it.
Anyways, I may have figured it out, but I'm not entirely certain so I'm giving it time. But, I broached the whole sexuality thing in general to my mom, and discovered that I wasn't that surprised that she claimed everyone who was not straight and/or not sexual was a "fruit loop." One of my bi friends has claimed digs on the purple fruit loop, so if anyone else wants to join the fruit loop brigade, you'll have to pick a different color. The next day, my stepdad showed that he is much more open by asking me about if I had any boyfriends or girlfriends. I laughed quite a bit, and assured him that the girlfriend thing would probably never apply to my significant other.
However, my mom said something that quite irritated me. Okay, let me just say that I don't want kids. I don't plan on it, and to be honest the only kids I like are the ones that I can give back eventually, like my brother. Although my brother is adorable and already out of the really obnoxious stages (the baby stages). So, the chances of me having kids from my own body is quite low. My mom wants grandkids that, and I quote, "have [her] blood flowing in the veins" and she would have a fit if I adopted or did invitro or whatever. Arghhhhhh. Its bad enough that I recently found out that my dad is making me the guardian of my brother if anything ever happens to both him and the ex. Here, have some pre-made offspring! Bah. My dad made a similar comment, although his was more along the lines of me probably changing my mind when I got older. Which is possible, but I have to have a boyfriend/fiance/husband in order for that to happen. Bah.
My back has been driving me nuts lately--its so hard to get to sleep at night and seriously distracts me from my writing. Plus, I can't find a job in Iowa that pays well or is in my field. There are a few jobs that I want that I've found, but they're far enough out of state that I can't afford to move there. Oh well. I'll figure out something. I'm sure someone would hire a wayward biology major.