Lots of stuff
I'm still behind, and moreover behind again, on updates (along with everything else). The short version is that the switch in Jamie's brain finally flicked after about a week of really bad sensory/autistic times, but just in time for him being capable of feeling good and happily learning and playing and being his normal-for-him self, he got a stomach virus. Naturally, that set off more than his ability to explode the gastro-intestinal equivalent of burning orange paint from chest to knees. The good news is that he seems to be well on the road to the latest installment of recovery. Beyond all obvious reasons, this makes me happy because we have a potential playdate with Patti and her son Erik -- who we haven't been able to see in most of a year -- on Friday. Keainid also is supposed to have both Saturday and Sunday off, after doing some more scheduling-type favors for coworkers last week.
If we could afford the gas money, we'd have been tempted to attempt a trip to Oneonta on Saturday, to see if we could catch a few friends down there, and to visit with Keainid's grandmother before her upcoming surgery. Grandma R. also has this idea that we should be scanning her house and attic for furniture and such we can make good use of. Since Grandpa passed on, she seems to be genuinely shifting into an, "I might as well simplify and give away what I'm not using to family that will use it, without planning to ask for it back" mode. I'm supposed to measure our prints and paintings and the like, so she can pass on to us frames for them. She also tells me we've got dibs on some chairs that are too heavy for her to move any more, anyway -- that would certainly be useful, since the set of four kitchen chairs we inherited when we married, well....the frames, while not hugely attractive, remain solid oak and sturdy....but the seats were 40-year-old caning, which means the seats are no longer THERE. I haven't had the opportunity to buy, shape, and assemble the plywood, apholstery foam, material and hardware needed to construct new seats for them, so currently the only mostly-intact chairs we own are our two rolling office chairs, which doesn't make it easy to invite visitors to stay for meals. (Will we actually end up with any chairs or anything else? Who knows?! Not our primary concern with hoping to visit with her, whenever we finally get to.) Eniways, I don't think we'll be attempting the trip, what with that gas money issue and all, anything else aside, but it was a nice idea. I shall just have to steal extra studio time, instead. Among other things, I'd like to get Gary his tie clip by the holidays, if I can.
As for Sunday, we'll have the chance to actually make it to that GLBT & Friends Mass again, for the first time in months. It's funny...Jamie tends to have issues triggered while we're there, and he almost always short-circuits as we enter the church...and yet, he looks forward to it. Anytime he hears choral singing, he asks me if we're going to see "the church fwends." I'm drawn to go partially because it's a compassionate and easily-handlable environment in which to help Jamie learn to cope with different environments, noises, activity levels, and people. Eniways, after this Sunday's mass, the group will be....munching on something, I assume, since normally this would be the week they'd go out to eat together....sticking around to wrap the presents they bought for their chosen Holiday Angels family. While we're in no position to join them at the mall for shopping and crossing things off the wishlist -- this would be another of those years when we can't buy anything for each other, let alone friends, let alone strangers -- we're hoping to get a sneak peak at the WishList so we can bring them some appropriate little extra we might already have, that's either still in highly giftable condition, or new. You never know. We've picked up a few large Craigslist lots in the past, just because otherwise they were about to go to the trash, and we couldn't stomach the thought of that much good stuff wasted when it could help someone out, given the chance to find them. There have also been a few brand new outfits gifted to Jamie, here and there, already so late in the season during which they would've fit him, that we set them aside to be gifts for someone else.
Before any of that, though, we have to get through tomorrow. Tomorrow Keainid has to try again to drop off our rent check (that we could write because Cheryl, bless her and her bump, advance-paid us for selling her our infant carseat) and get another copy of our updated lease, so that he can take it as part of our paperwork to apply for HEAP. We've got some library stuff to deal with. Keainid has a meeting in the evening for a contemplative prayer group he's helping design. The big thing, though, which requires the most prayers, is that in the early afternoon I have an Ortho appointment. If it proves useless, I will just try again with another specialist after securing a different, and hopefully much better, PCP for another referral....but it would be really, really helpful if this doc was, well, helpful. I need the Rx refills for my arthritis and pain meds that this PCP wouldn't give me. I would benefit, of course, from support of my getting theraputic treatment and things like custom knee braces, shoe inserts, and ADA gear to help make this rental household more accessible for me (like tall-toilet converters, and thingers that help you get in and out of chairs). And, then, of course, there's the issue of my longtime-extended appeal on my Disability Claim. I need doctor support to move forward with my case with the state, and I also need doctor support to get LEGAL support for my case with the state. I'm not going to go into the whole convoluted history of my case again, right now, but....yeah. ( This was my physical state a few years ago. It's only gotten worse. Yes, by golly, I am disabled.)
Thankfully, my Examiner gig has no requirements when it comes to my schedule or output ability. I've actually been somewhat prolofic (for me, especially relative to the "fun" times with Jamie recently). November was Prematurity Awareness Month, an issue you all should know is rather close to my heart, and though the month is over, I've continued my feature series with the stories other preemie parents have been able to get to me. Part 1 (my informative introduction to the issue, and a taste of our own experience) and Part 2 (featuring the family of new friend Leigh), have now been joined by Part 3 and Part 4, both featuring the family of longtime friend Jillene. I've got all that I need for a Part 5, and there are at least two more segments, after that, that have been promised to me as well. I also did a feature for World Aids Day. So please click, share, and spread awareness! (Also remember that if you apply with me as a reference, and they hire you, I get $50 whether you write one article or keep it up until you earn your fame and fortune. I'm just sayin'.)
If we could afford the gas money, we'd have been tempted to attempt a trip to Oneonta on Saturday, to see if we could catch a few friends down there, and to visit with Keainid's grandmother before her upcoming surgery. Grandma R. also has this idea that we should be scanning her house and attic for furniture and such we can make good use of. Since Grandpa passed on, she seems to be genuinely shifting into an, "I might as well simplify and give away what I'm not using to family that will use it, without planning to ask for it back" mode. I'm supposed to measure our prints and paintings and the like, so she can pass on to us frames for them. She also tells me we've got dibs on some chairs that are too heavy for her to move any more, anyway -- that would certainly be useful, since the set of four kitchen chairs we inherited when we married, well....the frames, while not hugely attractive, remain solid oak and sturdy....but the seats were 40-year-old caning, which means the seats are no longer THERE. I haven't had the opportunity to buy, shape, and assemble the plywood, apholstery foam, material and hardware needed to construct new seats for them, so currently the only mostly-intact chairs we own are our two rolling office chairs, which doesn't make it easy to invite visitors to stay for meals. (Will we actually end up with any chairs or anything else? Who knows?! Not our primary concern with hoping to visit with her, whenever we finally get to.) Eniways, I don't think we'll be attempting the trip, what with that gas money issue and all, anything else aside, but it was a nice idea. I shall just have to steal extra studio time, instead. Among other things, I'd like to get Gary his tie clip by the holidays, if I can.
As for Sunday, we'll have the chance to actually make it to that GLBT & Friends Mass again, for the first time in months. It's funny...Jamie tends to have issues triggered while we're there, and he almost always short-circuits as we enter the church...and yet, he looks forward to it. Anytime he hears choral singing, he asks me if we're going to see "the church fwends." I'm drawn to go partially because it's a compassionate and easily-handlable environment in which to help Jamie learn to cope with different environments, noises, activity levels, and people. Eniways, after this Sunday's mass, the group will be....munching on something, I assume, since normally this would be the week they'd go out to eat together....sticking around to wrap the presents they bought for their chosen Holiday Angels family. While we're in no position to join them at the mall for shopping and crossing things off the wishlist -- this would be another of those years when we can't buy anything for each other, let alone friends, let alone strangers -- we're hoping to get a sneak peak at the WishList so we can bring them some appropriate little extra we might already have, that's either still in highly giftable condition, or new. You never know. We've picked up a few large Craigslist lots in the past, just because otherwise they were about to go to the trash, and we couldn't stomach the thought of that much good stuff wasted when it could help someone out, given the chance to find them. There have also been a few brand new outfits gifted to Jamie, here and there, already so late in the season during which they would've fit him, that we set them aside to be gifts for someone else.
Before any of that, though, we have to get through tomorrow. Tomorrow Keainid has to try again to drop off our rent check (that we could write because Cheryl, bless her and her bump, advance-paid us for selling her our infant carseat) and get another copy of our updated lease, so that he can take it as part of our paperwork to apply for HEAP. We've got some library stuff to deal with. Keainid has a meeting in the evening for a contemplative prayer group he's helping design. The big thing, though, which requires the most prayers, is that in the early afternoon I have an Ortho appointment. If it proves useless, I will just try again with another specialist after securing a different, and hopefully much better, PCP for another referral....but it would be really, really helpful if this doc was, well, helpful. I need the Rx refills for my arthritis and pain meds that this PCP wouldn't give me. I would benefit, of course, from support of my getting theraputic treatment and things like custom knee braces, shoe inserts, and ADA gear to help make this rental household more accessible for me (like tall-toilet converters, and thingers that help you get in and out of chairs). And, then, of course, there's the issue of my longtime-extended appeal on my Disability Claim. I need doctor support to move forward with my case with the state, and I also need doctor support to get LEGAL support for my case with the state. I'm not going to go into the whole convoluted history of my case again, right now, but....yeah. ( This was my physical state a few years ago. It's only gotten worse. Yes, by golly, I am disabled.)
Thankfully, my Examiner gig has no requirements when it comes to my schedule or output ability. I've actually been somewhat prolofic (for me, especially relative to the "fun" times with Jamie recently). November was Prematurity Awareness Month, an issue you all should know is rather close to my heart, and though the month is over, I've continued my feature series with the stories other preemie parents have been able to get to me. Part 1 (my informative introduction to the issue, and a taste of our own experience) and Part 2 (featuring the family of new friend Leigh), have now been joined by Part 3 and Part 4, both featuring the family of longtime friend Jillene. I've got all that I need for a Part 5, and there are at least two more segments, after that, that have been promised to me as well. I also did a feature for World Aids Day. So please click, share, and spread awareness! (Also remember that if you apply with me as a reference, and they hire you, I get $50 whether you write one article or keep it up until you earn your fame and fortune. I'm just sayin'.)