One of THOSE days again...
Pulled a gluteus muscle last night (don't even ask) so sleeping was a challenge. I enjoy a little extra sleep on Sunday mornings (as does Mom) but my neighbor had other ideas, as he felt that 8am would be a dandy time to play with his leaf blower. Then the grandaughters decided to stop in for one of their very helpful 20 minute visits exactly as I was wrestling loaded diaper # 3 of the day, which is always a delight. And now the dryer door won't stay closed unless I prop something against it, which means we're gonna have to schedule a service call this week. Yeah, this caretaking thing isn't easy on the best of days but days like today mean this specific caretaker is just about due for a "day off" in the not-too-distant future.
On the lighter side of things, Mom's rehab sent us a $3000 bill a few days ago and thoughtfully set the "due date" for a couple of weeks from now, which is pretty hilarious. It's a property tax month here in NJ which means everyone else just has to get in line, as the interest on late tax payments is a hefty 2% a day around these parts. It's almost as funny as the $800 ambulance bill for the eight mile ride Mom took (doctor's orders) to the hospital back in August. I'll ring them tomorrow and ask them if they have change for a million dollar bill, otherwise they'll have to accept an unsigned bad check for the time being.
Oh yes, and the cough drops I dropped everything to go buy and waited in line for twenty minutes to pay for "don't taste right", even though they're the same cough drops Mom has enjoyed for a hundred years. Yep, it's one of THOSE days today.
Of course I'm just venting here, things aren't really all that bad and Lord knows they could be way, way worse. Anyhow, hope everyone's happy and well out there, time to do MY laundry now as the pile is beginning to develop layers like a fossil bed or something.
Getting an older person up early means someone's going to be tired or grouchy, and that can include the caregiver. Actually, I was glad when this last group of home care staff finished. At least now Dad can sleep in - I mean, after all, when you're retired, and when you're in your 90's, shouldn't you be allowed to sleep in? I say, a hearty yes!
Oh, that $3800 is just the top of the pile, there's another few thousand dollars worth of random hospital bills on top of that. In fact, just this morning I got a bill from the hospital bed place asking for another $25, even though a) I was told it was 100% covered and b) they delivered that bed back in August. While I obviously don't want to be a deadbeat about it, there's a priority list here: home, utilities, food & sundries, medical, car....THEN everything else. I try to establish "payment plans" whenever possible but usually they balk but hey, you can't get blood from a turnip. "Get in line" is the new family motto around here. Because she collects a state pension from my dad's old job, Mom falls in that zone where she makes "too much" to qualify for a lot of programs. And of course, "too much" is relative.
Re: the neighbor, he really is a great neighbor and a really handy and helpful guy to know but yeah, he's one of those guys who just enjoys noisy things. He owns a Harley too BTW, the leaf blower is whisper quiet next to that thing.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm holding up OK. I make sure to get out at least once a week even if it's just for a few hours, the granddaughters don't really do a whole lot when they're here but they are at least keeping an eye on Mom when I leave for a while. I'm aiming for some real quality time sometime in December, maybe a weekend or something just to get a chance to regroup.
And thanks for the comic relief, we do need to laugh at what is going on :)
Leaf blowers in the early morning hours - check out our comments on these and other noisy gas powered devices on the Pet Peeve thread - you'll find that you're not alone.
Start here on page 34, with WindyRidge's comment on leaf blowers. We had a nice time complaining about the noise created by neighbors.
https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/what-are-your-pet-peeves-186528.htm?cpage=34
I think some people have no concept of huge bills - expecting a $3K bill to be paid in 2 weeks is ridiculous.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you ask for change for a $1M bill!
Re the property taxes, I take it that NJ doesn't have a deferment option for seniors? In Michigan we have the option to defer payment until Feb. 14, if we meet certain income or other criteria.
Sometimes it all comes at once, doesn't it? Hopefully the rest of the month will be less unsettling.
BTW, how is your mother's rehab coming along?