04/16/2011

Hi everyone,

Sure is some crazy weather across the country!  I think I heard 49 tornadoes touched down in the midwest killing 9 people.  Makes me very grateful that all we have hear is rain and lots of it.  We do have a tornado watch until 9:00 p.m. tonight.  I know a few of my favs even have snow!  Is it just me or does the weather get crazier and crazier each year??

So we had some big excitement in the neighborhood earlier in the week.    There is a small shopping center a half a block from where I live.  It has a CVS, Safeway a few restaurants and about a dozen shops.  At the barber shop next to the Safeway there was a shooting on Wednesday!   A former employee burst into the shop and gunned down two of his former co-workers, killing one of them.  Apparently he quit the shop a few months ago over a dispute with a couple co-workers (I’m assuming the same 2 he shot because he bypassed a few other people to get to these 2).  The dispute was over them throwing away his lunch!  Now I love my food but seriously??  I’m not sure if the food was old, thrown out by accident or maybe a prank.  What really blows my mind is that this guy (all parties are Korean) went back to Korea after this incident and after he quit, then returned here 2 months later still carrying this monumental grudge.  

Police were everywhere as were news cameras, shoppers and the curious.  I didn’t go up there till several hours later and it was still a madhouse.  The killer stayed on the loose for almost 24 hours before turnng himself in.  They say be careful what you wish for and I’m always saying it’s too quiet around here!

In other news, last week I had a tooth pulled.  I woke up last Wednesday with my back hurting for no apparent reason.  It eased up as the day went on but Wednesday evening my back molar started hurting and it just got worse and worse.  I’ve always thought the two worst things (not counting the biggies like cancer or heart disease etc.) to endure were a backache and a toothache and now I was having both in one day? What the heck?!?  The tooth pain kept me up all night and by Thursday morning I was almost out of my mind with the pain.  I had even taken a couple vicodin’s a friend gave me and still no relief.  I called my friend Bonnie, in so much pain I could hardly talk, and pleaded with her to find me some place to go.  I was going to beg someone to lend me the money if I had too.  Fortunately, my friend Debbie came through for me as she always does.  She lent me the money and even took off work to take me to the dentist.  What a relief to get it out!  Any of you who have been in that situation know what I mean.  I could have kissed that dentist!  It cost $235 which will she will let me pay back in installments since she put it on her credit card.  I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating – I have the greatest friends in the world!  It seems like dental insurance is something most don’t have or certainly don’t have enough of.  At one time, I was approved for the dental clinic and I’m trying to get that again.  

Well I don’t know if I mentioned it, but Aimee’s boyfriend and our roommate, quit his job last month.  Just walked out.  Said he couldn’t take it anymore.  Well boo hoo hoo.  You don’t quit a job unless you have another one.  Especially when you have other people depending on that income.  He and I have a long history of not liking each other.  Strangely enough Aimee couldn’t stand him either for most of their growing up years (in case you didn’t know – he is the son of my best friend Bonnie and the father of my granddaughter Leah). 

He has always been a very hard person for me to like.  He put Bonnie through hell during his teenage years.  He has a history of lying, stealing and shows no respect for anyone that I can see.  So what does Aimee see in him?  You tell me and we’ll both know!  I have tried very hard to focus more on his good qualities (and he does have some) and less on his bad ones since I’m stuck having him in my life but damn he makes it hard!

I know he has some mental health issues; he has severe social phobias for one.  I mean he can talk to people he knows but doing something like walking into a place cold and asking if they have any openings is very difficult for him.  He is a good father to Leah for the most part but he lacks patience.  He is not mean to her, quite the opposite, but it is hard for him to take the time to sit and play with her and feed her food, etc.  He is good at taking care of her basis needs, baths, diaper changes, bottles, etc. but as she gets older she needs more interaction and he has a hard time sitting still long enough to give it to her.  He is extrememly neat and clean and does 90% of the housework.  All of the above is due to his (undiagnosed) OCD.  I appreciate the cleaning very much but sometimes it is annoying as hell.  He still lies, even about stupid stuff.  He has sworn he has applied for jobs when I know he hasn’t. 

He is very good to Aimee and seems to love her very much but that don’t pay the bills.  I have argued with him, yelled at him, and several times tried to have a serious conversation with him but nothing seems to work.  Aimee is going to kick him out of here sometime in May if he doesn’t come up with a job. His mother does not want him back living with her so he will have to go to a shelter.  Believe it or not this will be very hard for me to see.  Even though I don’t like him most of the time, he is the father of my grandchild, he does have potential, and I know his leaving will be very heartbreaking for Aimee. I have told him he needs to get some help, that he doesn’t have to go through life this way, maybe even get on meds, but nothing seems to be enough for him to make a right move.  He swears he is going to do this and that but I have yet to see it.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he chooses to live in the woods rather than go to a shelter because that would mean having to interact with all these people he doesn’t know.  I fear he will one day end up a homeless alcoholic with mental illness and it’s so avoidable if he would just make some effort.  I hate that he has put us and himself in this situation. 

In the meantime, money will now be tighter than ever but what’s new right?  I can only try to smile and be grateful for what I have.  I’m only successful part of the time 🙂

Leah and Kayla continue to blossom and brighten my world.  Leah is such a happy baby and you can’t help but feel joyful when you look at that sweet little face and see her smile.  Kayla is still my best buddy.  We have such fun together.  I don’t know what I would do without these angels in my life.

I have been writing public entries lately but think I am going to go friends only as I may start writing about some deeper issues.  So, if you are a lurker and want to be privvy to these fabulous, inspiring and heartfelt words, you better speak up.  Okay so maybe they won’t be great works but hop on board anyway. 

(((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))