TOTAL DISASTOR + 1....

Recommended  play-list for this post:   Mother's Little Helper   by The Rolling Stones, over and over and over........


My son began losing it when the quack doctor recommended by the emergency room cancelled his surgery the first time. Those of us who have been victims subjects of controlled trauma know that the build up to the actual surgery can be worse then the procedure itself.   When the initial quack cancelled the surgery for the second time, claiming the paperwork was not in order, my son was on the verge of a breakdown.  Luckily a nurse from my doctor's office recommended 'the best,' whose office staff first confirmed the paperwork was in order, and the new doctor confirmed that my son indeed had a huge hernia. ONE.  Not two, in different areas as the first quack doctor had initially diagnosed.

The power supply on my computer burnt out.
The computer guy's truck broke down and his cat got sick.
My computer is still broken.
One of the herd my cats got sick.

The Great Gatsby on Heavy-Duty Antibiotics.

Nana and Me  2007

The same week before my son's surgery was scheduled with 'the best,' his grandmother died.  We all loved her so. She was just one of the most amazing women on the face of this planet.  A strong woman who survived so many life altering tragedies, yet never let them affect her sunny outlook.    While I was divorcing her philandering son, after she was healing from a major stroke, she came to the house to say good bye, as I was moving to Connecticut, and it was also my birthday.  Her oldest daughter drove her.  She couldn't make it up the steps with her walker, so I went down to take this from her outstretched hand,

A Shell in my Favorite Color

Potpourri that retains The Scent it Had That Day in 1984

 while she gripped the walker firmly with the other hand.  She had tears in her eyes, still only able to speak a few words, but she said, "Okay," while trying to smile through her tears.  Though she could not say the words, she let me know she knew I loved her, why I was leaving the state with her grandchildren, and that it was alright.  Thank You Nana, we will miss you forever.

I would have to drive my son to New Hampshire, as he was too uncomfortable to drive the distance. Nana's wake was scheduled the Saturday before the Tuesday he would have his surgery.  We were expecting snow so I made a command decision to hit the grocery store and not have to worry about running out of supplies until long after my son's operation.   

I park waaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back of the parking lots.  Since moving here, I have had so many nicks, dings, and different shades of paint transfer applied to my car by obviously incapable and inconsiderate motor vehicle operators it has given me a case of  Parking Lot Paranoia.   I was in the grocery store for quite a while that day. Imagine my relief when, while approaching my car from a distance, I could quite clearly see, amazingly enough, waaaaaaaaaay off in the distance, absolutely not one other vehicle parked near mine.   Once around it confirmed no new flaws.

 While putting the groceries in the passenger side, an elderly woman, driving what appeared to be an aircraft carrier, approached from the spot behind me, while a truck parked a few spaces away. Unable to park directly next to me, due to me leaving my door wide open while I unloaded groceries,  the elderly woman approached the rear of my vehicle at an odd angle, and good grief, she was actually going to try to smoosh between the truck and my open door.  I couldn't see her face, just the top pf her curly haired head, and the top of a lavender curly haired head in the passengers seat.  She kept coming. directly at me. EEK.  I raised both of my arms and started frantically waving down the incoming. Something clicked in her brain and she stopped, proceeded to back up the carrier, and was forced to drive ALL the way to the end of the aisle and come up the next without cutting through spaces. When they drove by me still unloading the groceries, they both turned their heads in my direction and shot me a look that rightly should have struck me dead.

Phew, for once I had made it through a parking experience without a nick.  I climbed into the cockpit, started the car to let it warm up, and started rearranging receipts in my purse, when suddenly my brain registered something happening. It was so quick I didn't realize my car had been struck, and the offending vehicle was attempting to drag the front end of my car with it while it continued on it's merry little way until my car was released, the front end bouncing back into line with it's rear end.  

It took me about one second flat to grab my cell phone, fly out of the car and start running after the big tan Buick that was racing towards the end of the aisle.  I was calling in the tag number to the police and banging on the trunk of the car trying to get it to stop - which it didn't - until it nonchalantly pulled into a parking spot close to the entrance to the store.

I walked around to the drivers side, knocked on the window and said, "Don't you go anywhere,' as the vehicle's door was hitting me in the thighs, ' you just smashed into my car and the police are on the way."

While the operator continued to push me out of the way with the car door and got out, what I was looking at was what appeared to be a four and a half foot tall, one hundred year old woman, who said, "I did?"  I stared intently, and what I saw was absolutely nothing in those eyes.  I asked her to please get back in her car and wait.    I went back the hundred yards or so to my car where I found a grocery store employee who had witnessed the entire incident, and had been kind enough not only to stay to speak to the police, but watch my car, as I had left the door wide open, with my purse on the front seat. 

"Any passengers in the car with you?" asked the policeman.   "Ah, no, just two roaster chickens."       

Out the window went my driving my son to New Hampshire for Nana's wake.  In with the finding someone to drive him.  Off he and his friend went at  4 AM the next morning.  When I got up I could barely move,  my formerly healing herniated disc was screaming at me.

I had already filed the damages claim with the woman's insurance company, the flat bed was due to take my car to the repair shop on Monday, and deliver a rental.  "Any passengers in the vehicle when the accident occurred?" asked the insurance adjuster.  "Just two roaster chickens, and when I went to start cooking one this afternoon I found it's neck inside it's body so I'm pretty sure she hit me pretty hard..."   Guy had no sense of humor,  just sayin. 

The witness continued to speak to the insurance people on my behalf, and made the statement that it looked like my car had been dragged at least a foot and a half after the initial impact,  before it bounced back onto it's front wheels. 

I made an appointment on Monday with my orthopedic guy and took my son to have his surgery on Tuesday, in this.

A Small Boat

I cannot be at the shore and not go to the water...

Freezing.

But The View Of Ledge Light Was Gorgeous, As Always.

New Art At The Park.

As well as the neatest new addition....

A Solar Powered Call-For-Help box.

  Everything went well, the rental actually had more comfortable seats than my car for my son to ride home  from the hospital in.

My orthopedic guy took x-rays and my disc has shifted.  Oh Joy.  Back to physical therapy.  

The car was ready this past Thursday, the same day I was to take my son back to the city to have his post-op check-up and stitches out. I was forced to race to the shop to pick up the car as the rental was no longer covered when the shop said my car was fixed.  An over statement of the year.  So we got to take my car out for it's first ride.

The first bump on the highway, a bridge expansion panel  (you know, thunk- thunk and you are over a small bridge) we both felt a gigantic THUNK under our feet while at the same time we heard a crack, then a  loud  'BOING' , like something hitting the under carriage of the car.   My son and I looked at each other as I was slowing down to 45, minimum highway speed, as well as a controllable speed should something else occur, as we watched whatever had fallen off my car bounce away in the side view mirrors.   After hitting even small bumps something in the back was thunking itself silly trying to fall off.

We crept home, left it in the driveway, and went into the house to call the insurance company.  The car alarm started going off.   Every five minutes.  Until the battery was disconnected.  Apparently the electrical was not put back correctly when my bumper was reattached to the car.

The rental company did not have another rental available until the week-end had passed.  Three of the rescues were suffering from Gatsby's original symptoms and appeared to be fighting it off well enough.

Until Murray collapsed Sunday evening.  He was on the brink of death by Monday morning, when a dear friend took the day off from his job to race us to the vet.  Murray had to stay at the vet's that night.  The next day they sent him home not thinking he would make it. 

First Day Home

On his heating pad next to the hot air vent.

He is not only slowly regaining his strength and weight, he is making major strides now.

I have been arguing with insurance adjusters for two weeks now.  My son returned to work after a week (with restrictions), and joined the War now going on with the insurance company who has finally agreed to pay for my honest mechanics to fix the rest of the damage done by the repair shop the insurance company recommended.... 

I am now driving this...

A Large Ship

My car is still disabled.  The War continues with the insurance adjuster. Oh and  Paulette, the box will be in the mail soon.    :}




Addendum:            MARCH 23, 2011            Murray died this afternoon at 2:00 PM.  He had rallied for a
                                                                      long time, considering the horrible infection that had so quickly
                                                                      taken over his system.  Now that we are consumed with         
                                                                      sorrow,
                                                                      I realize he had been struggling to stay alive for us, and we
                                                                      love him so for that.  He is at peace now and in the care of the
                                                                      others that have come before him.