@callow@Kidsandliz And now it’s going to take all the luck that’s left, and maybe a little more. The lament is over at the current tail of the Goat thread, but the TL;DR version is that due to a badly dropped ball at the cardiologist’s office, the anesthesia people are prepared to cancel my procedure at 10AM tomorrow.
I wish I could bring myself to be optimistic about this, but I am too worn out at this point.
Cancelled. The anesthesiologist said it was in my best interest. The practical result will likely be that I will never be able to get the procedure at all, for multiple reasons largely having to do with the fact that I’m 70.
@mycya4me My oldest brother’s wife woke up one morning and discovered that numbers no longer made any sense to her; she had lost all ability to math. It was attributed to a microstroke. Sadly, she waited too long to say anything, and while they could see the site on imaging, it was too late to do anything about it. In the five years after that, she had both slow declines in certain mental capabilities and sudden episodes that took away others. When she was no longer safe to have in an unsupervised environment, my brother had to move her to an assisted-living facility that had full-time care available as needed. By that point, she barely recognized him. Six months later, she didn’t know who she was. Less than six months after that, she was gone physically as well.
@werehatrack I am sorry to hear that about your oldest brother’s wife.
My mother started Very Slowly going down several years ago. I live across the street.
So I was the one that became Mom’s full time care giver. Plus I though I would only here part time. But Nope. Just before Halloween she had got to the place she needed more care than I could provide. Having my sister or niece to help was OUT of the questions. It is those Family issues that have turn ugly. Nuff’ on that.
So Mom is now in a memory care unit. She still knows who I am & called me by name on Friday. She smiles a LOT & I try to go by every day in the Afternoon, visit then at dinner feed her. I guess in a small part repaying when she put up with me as a baby & feed me!.
@mycya4me@werehatrack My mom is “breaking” with old age too. She has forgotten important things like her older sister died 3 years ago (and I didn’t realize it and mentioned it and it was new grief for her - I felt so guilty about that), she sometimes thinks her youngest sister is child… It is really sad to see our parents end up in that situation. This mothers day she asked me to tell her some of the things I remembered the best that she had done with us when we were kids. So I told her a bunch of things and she didn’t remember even one of them. It was all new information to her. Sad. She is in a nursing home which she needs at this point.
@Kidsandliz@werehatrack I am sorry & feel sorry for you. My Mom is 93, So she has had a Good Life. she is the Last of her family.
I brought my Mom some Silk flowers in a Vase I printed on my 3D printer. For Mother’s Day, So neither will break or wilt!
My best suggestion is spend as much time as you can with her. You will NOT regret. If possible try to take her to one of her fav spots.
Last year before she needed to go to the Nursing Home, we got to go some places that we did when I was young. She Really enjoyed that! I am sure it brought back memories!
@mycya4me I’m sorry, that’s so hard. It’s such a sad disease! We cared for a few family members with dementia and alzheimers, it really takes a toll on everyone. Good thoughts and prayers for all of you.
@Lynnerizer@phendrick Lord Willing!! Give us northerners something to look forward to during the Long, Cold Winters. Christmas in January? I’m on board.
@Lynnerizer@phendrick@tohar1 More likely, the weather will go schizo for two months, whipsawing back and forth between freeze and fry in November and December, and then settle into a sullen mehwinter until March.
@Lynnerizer@phendrick@werehatrack I’m putting in a request for MORE El Nino like we had this past year. Totally loved this past Winter we experienced. Could’ve done without the 3" rain we had Christmas day that turned to ice, but other than that we had an (almost too) easy Winter. Only got below zero for 4-5 days, where we normally have half a month or more & only 12" of snow total…about 40" less than average.
@phendrick@tohar1@werehatrack
Yes the winters here in CT aren’t anything like they used to be. My grandsons almost 9 years old and by the time he has children I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d have to travel further north to see snow and THAT is crazy sad to me!
I’m at work for 16 hours in the ER (and working as the house supervisor at the same time). Covering an entire (small) local hospital as the only ER nurse overight and the ‘administration’ for 2 shifts. … so pretty much like any other month!
@PooltoyWolf So they’re not coming to you first but rather shipping directly to buyers, got it. It would be fun if you had a bunch of them in your house though!
@Kyeh No, they ARE all coming to me first, and are in fact being leak checked here! I thought you’d asked me if any of these ones would be owned by me haha.
Relatives doing better and worse healthwise, so it’s a mixed bag. Got my dishwasher working again, but turns out we have an electrical issue, so more work is required. Possibility it could be covered by insurance. Overall, the continuation of the heat pump water leak saga is chugging along. We haven’t even talked to the floor replacement people yet.
@brmarwedel Congrats! Just as an FYI, at some point in the PhD process you may find you have to tell yourself, “There are good reasons why I decided to get a PhD. The fact that I can’t think of any of them right now is not good enough reason to quit.”. Several of my PhD students found that helpful on occasion during the process. What are you getting your PhD in?
@brmarwedel Well cool! My roommate from college got a masters in that from MIT and then worked in health care research. May you invent/discover many very cool and useful things! I hope the faculty member who decided to admit you and be your advisor is one who will support you through the process, involve you in plenty of research and open many doors for you. When you are done do you plan to teach at a college/university or work in the industry?
@brmarwedel Yes university teaching is a great career. I went back to school later in life and really enjoy teaching and research. While in grad school get yourself involved in as many faculty research projects as possible (grad research assistantship or not) as that will help tremendously with your job search out the other side. And remember the best dissertation is a done dissertation. Not sure if you are the one “big” one or three “articles” version but either way focusing on things you can finish sooner rather than later so you can get out is a good idea. If your committee is against your dissertation idea, save that idea for when you are out and focus on something they can get behind so that you have fewer obstacles in the way getting out.
@brmarwedel faculty support and guidance tends to vanish when you are doing your proposal and some people struggle with that too. Plus half do the proposal and never finish. If you can convince your self to do a complete chapter 2 (review of literature) rather than an abbreviated one, it makes life far easier and faster to just do a final edit than face doing the detailed version. People tend to be burned out near the end and being faced with that is often the straw that breaks the camel’s back so to speak.
I’ve had one day off work all month, and it’s the 14th. Yesterday I was so busy I lost track of time and forgot to call my mother. It was her 80th birthday.
If I could just have a normal, moderate stress month with no travel, visitors, or major decisions to make, I think that would be the best month I’ve had in years. May is not that month.
@DLPanther I am looking forward to next year, when I will have zero travel scheduled between early January and mid-May. I may at last be able to grow some tomatoes.
MY MAY HAPPINESS!
May is ALWAYS a good month for me, it’s MY BIRTHDAY month! It’s also Mother’s Day which we celebrate together, on MY BIRTHDAY!
We had our first hummingbird of the season🪽, planted our first flower planter on the deck, (our garden) YAY condo life!🪻 Also, started growing Tuc’s cat grass ourselves!
🟰HAPPY CAT!
We had a chance to win BIG betting on the Kentucky Derby.
May also ends 5 LONG months of going to lymphoedema treatment 3 times a week. HALLELUJAH!
We’ve pulled out the blow-up pool floats in anticipation of warmer weather and pool days! 🛟
Did I mention that May is MY BIRTHDAY, because THAT’S just the icing on the cake! YAY MAY, IT’S A HAPPY MONTH!
So far MY May has been FANTASTIC!
I hope May is just as good for you guys too!
I’ll have a more definitive answer in about 11 days. Right now, things are on target for the most part.
@werehatrack
/giphy good luck
@shahnm Had to swap that giphy. The first was way too ominous given that I’m headed for surgery on Friday.
@werehatrack Good luck!
@callow @werehatrack Yes good luck!
@callow @Kidsandliz And now it’s going to take all the luck that’s left, and maybe a little more. The lament is over at the current tail of the Goat thread, but the TL;DR version is that due to a badly dropped ball at the cardiologist’s office, the anesthesia people are prepared to cancel my procedure at 10AM tomorrow.
I wish I could bring myself to be optimistic about this, but I am too worn out at this point.
@callow @werehatrack Cripes that sucks big time!!! I hope it gets straightened out prior to then.
Cancelled. The anesthesiologist said it was in my best interest. The practical result will likely be that I will never be able to get the procedure at all, for multiple reasons largely having to do with the fact that I’m 70.
She’s getting in a car and driving and driving and driving!
Well I will know more May 30th… it is just so-so… many Family issues & Mom is NOT in very good health! I have had Better Mays. But not in a Few Years!
@mycya4me
I hope your mom is feeling better and your month of May ends better than it is right now.
@Lynnerizer Thank You. But sadly she has Dementia, there is NO cure. I am losing her a little Bit each day!
@mycya4me My oldest brother’s wife woke up one morning and discovered that numbers no longer made any sense to her; she had lost all ability to math. It was attributed to a microstroke. Sadly, she waited too long to say anything, and while they could see the site on imaging, it was too late to do anything about it. In the five years after that, she had both slow declines in certain mental capabilities and sudden episodes that took away others. When she was no longer safe to have in an unsupervised environment, my brother had to move her to an assisted-living facility that had full-time care available as needed. By that point, she barely recognized him. Six months later, she didn’t know who she was. Less than six months after that, she was gone physically as well.
@werehatrack I am sorry to hear that about your oldest brother’s wife.
My mother started Very Slowly going down several years ago. I live across the street.
So I was the one that became Mom’s full time care giver. Plus I though I would only here part time. But Nope. Just before Halloween she had got to the place she needed more care than I could provide. Having my sister or niece to help was OUT of the questions. It is those Family issues that have turn ugly. Nuff’ on that.
So Mom is now in a memory care unit. She still knows who I am & called me by name on Friday. She smiles a LOT & I try to go by every day in the Afternoon, visit then at dinner feed her. I guess in a small part repaying when she put up with me as a baby & feed me!.
@mycya4me @werehatrack My mom is “breaking” with old age too. She has forgotten important things like her older sister died 3 years ago (and I didn’t realize it and mentioned it and it was new grief for her - I felt so guilty about that), she sometimes thinks her youngest sister is child… It is really sad to see our parents end up in that situation. This mothers day she asked me to tell her some of the things I remembered the best that she had done with us when we were kids. So I told her a bunch of things and she didn’t remember even one of them. It was all new information to her. Sad. She is in a nursing home which she needs at this point.
@Kidsandliz @werehatrack I am sorry & feel sorry for you. My Mom is 93, So she has had a Good Life. she is the Last of her family.
I brought my Mom some Silk flowers in a Vase I printed on my 3D printer. For Mother’s Day, So neither will break or wilt!
My best suggestion is spend as much time as you can with her. You will NOT regret. If possible try to take her to one of her fav spots.
Last year before she needed to go to the Nursing Home, we got to go some places that we did when I was young. She Really enjoyed that! I am sure it brought back memories!
@mycya4me I’m sorry, that’s so hard. It’s such a sad disease!
We cared for a few family members with dementia and alzheimers, it really takes a toll on everyone. Good thoughts and prayers for all of you. 
@Lynnerizer Thank YOU so Much! what makes it worst is there are a LOT of Family issues… Very Ugly. Involves Lawyers too.
@mycya4me
Oh jeez, that’s too bad. I feel for you, been there too. That’s like the last thing you need during times like this. Best of luck.
@Lynnerizer Thank You so Much! I Welcome your Prayers & support!
May’s bringing those showers April was negligent for. So guess the May flowers will show up wilted in June. And can expect the June bugs in July?
And the cicadas will have a best by date slightly later?
https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2024/5/13/24153901/cicadas-2024-bood-xix-xiii-emergence
But the birds stalking my yard will be rewarded, i guess.
@phendrick
so the cats will be happy…
@phendrick
Hmmm… You are messing around with a lot here. 
Is this going to push thanksgiving into Christmas now? 
@Lynnerizer @phendrick Lord Willing!! Give us northerners something to look forward to during the Long, Cold Winters. Christmas in January? I’m on board.
@Lynnerizer @phendrick @tohar1 More likely, the weather will go schizo for two months, whipsawing back and forth between freeze and fry in November and December, and then settle into a sullen mehwinter until March.
@Lynnerizer @phendrick @werehatrack I’m putting in a request for MORE El Nino like we had this past year. Totally loved this past Winter we experienced. Could’ve done without the 3" rain we had Christmas day that turned to ice, but other than that we had an (almost too) easy Winter. Only got below zero for 4-5 days, where we normally have half a month or more & only 12" of snow total…about 40" less than average.
@phendrick @tohar1 @werehatrack
Yes the winters here in CT aren’t anything like they used to be. My grandsons almost 9 years old and by the time he has children I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d have to travel further north to see snow and THAT is crazy sad to me!
Rain, wind, sun, flu, lightning, hail, heat… more action than many others.
I’m at work for 16 hours in the ER (and working as the house supervisor at the same time). Covering an entire (small) local hospital as the only ER nurse overight and the ‘administration’ for 2 shifts. … so pretty much like any other month!
@chienfou Thank You for ALL you do!
Not great. Had to put my dog down, had five teeth extracted, and only just tonight learned a friend died.
But I remain optimistic.
@PooltoyWolf Oh no! Really sorry to hear that.
But glad you’re still optimistic.
@Kyeh I’m expecting the shipment of my custom inflatable Mactoys soon, to ship out to the buyers. That should help raise spirits!
@PooltoyWolf That’s cool! I hope you post a picture.
@Kyeh Here’s a factory photo.
@Kyeh @PooltoyWolf Looks like the start of a James Veitch type of joke.
@Kyeh @yakkoTDI I am unfamiliar.
@PooltoyWolf @yakkoTDI Okay, I laughed hard at that!
@PooltoyWolf How many are you getting?
@Kyeh None of this run were for me; I already have my own Mactoy!
@PooltoyWolf So they’re not coming to you first but rather shipping directly to buyers, got it. It would be fun if you had a bunch of them in your house though!
@Kyeh No, they ARE all coming to me first, and are in fact being leak checked here! I thought you’d asked me if any of these ones would be owned by me haha.
Time permitting, group photos will be taken.
@PooltoyWolf Oh, okay! That’s going to be something to see! Did you watch the duck video?
@Kyeh I haven’t had 6 minutes to sit down.
@Kyeh @PooltoyWolf I love the duck video!
@PooltoyWolf I am so sorry
@Kyeh @PooltoyWolf @yakkoTDI loving the ducks!!!
@PooltoyWolf That is so hard when you have to put down a pet. I am so sorry.
@PooltoyWolf I am sorry, I know how it is to have to say goodby to a Fur Baby, they ARE part of the Family! Read Rainbow Bridge!
Relatives doing better and worse healthwise, so it’s a mixed bag. Got my dishwasher working again, but turns out we have an electrical issue, so more work is required. Possibility it could be covered by insurance. Overall, the continuation of the heat pump water leak saga is chugging along. We haven’t even talked to the floor replacement people yet.
Went to my aunt’s funeral last week. (63, cancer)
Of course there’s still a chance for May to turn out well, but it better try a little harder.
I graduated, had a birthday, and was offered an internship in the city I will be starting my PhD in. So very happy times.
@brmarwedel Congrats! Just as an FYI, at some point in the PhD process you may find you have to tell yourself, “There are good reasons why I decided to get a PhD. The fact that I can’t think of any of them right now is not good enough reason to quit.”. Several of my PhD students found that helpful on occasion during the process. What are you getting your PhD in?
@Kidsandliz Biomedical Engineering
@brmarwedel Well cool! My roommate from college got a masters in that from MIT and then worked in health care research. May you invent/discover many very cool and useful things! I hope the faculty member who decided to admit you and be your advisor is one who will support you through the process, involve you in plenty of research and open many doors for you. When you are done do you plan to teach at a college/university or work in the industry?
@Kidsandliz Ideally, teach at a university. Industry is very good for some people, but I really like pursuing my own questions.
@brmarwedel Yes university teaching is a great career. I went back to school later in life and really enjoy teaching and research. While in grad school get yourself involved in as many faculty research projects as possible (grad research assistantship or not) as that will help tremendously with your job search out the other side. And remember the best dissertation is a done dissertation. Not sure if you are the one “big” one or three “articles” version but either way focusing on things you can finish sooner rather than later so you can get out is a good idea. If your committee is against your dissertation idea, save that idea for when you are out and focus on something they can get behind so that you have fewer obstacles in the way getting out.
@Kidsandliz Thanks, that’s really good advice. I’ve seen people stagnate during their PhDs and I promised myself I would not do that.
@brmarwedel faculty support and guidance tends to vanish when you are doing your proposal and some people struggle with that too. Plus half do the proposal and never finish. If you can convince your self to do a complete chapter 2 (review of literature) rather than an abbreviated one, it makes life far easier and faster to just do a final edit than face doing the detailed version. People tend to be burned out near the end and being faced with that is often the straw that breaks the camel’s back so to speak.
SOS-DD…
Pretty much “steady as she goes”.
I’ve had one day off work all month, and it’s the 14th. Yesterday I was so busy I lost track of time and forgot to call my mother. It was her 80th birthday.
My daughter graduated from college and has a job lined up. So pretty great.
If I could just have a normal, moderate stress month with no travel, visitors, or major decisions to make, I think that would be the best month I’ve had in years. May is not that month.
@DLPanther I am looking forward to next year, when I will have zero travel scheduled between early January and mid-May. I may at last be able to grow some tomatoes.
@werehatrack with the Aerogarden I got (here) I have grown so many herbs. It was great to keep something easy alive during lockdown.
@DLPanther @werehatrack it is so wonderful for herbs. I need to start mine growing herbs again.
MY MAY HAPPINESS!
It’s also Mother’s Day which we celebrate together, on MY BIRTHDAY! 
, planted our first flower planter on the deck, (our garden) YAY condo life!🪻
Also, started growing Tuc’s cat grass ourselves!
HALLELUJAH! 
YAY MAY, IT’S A HAPPY MONTH!
May is ALWAYS a good month for me, it’s MY BIRTHDAY month!
We had our first hummingbird of the season🪽
🟰HAPPY CAT!
We had a chance to win BIG betting on the Kentucky Derby.
May also ends 5 LONG months of going to lymphoedema treatment 3 times a week.
We’ve pulled out the blow-up pool floats in anticipation of warmer weather and pool days! 🛟
Did I mention that May is MY BIRTHDAY, because THAT’S just the icing on the cake!
So far MY May has been FANTASTIC!
I hope May is just as good for you guys too!