What did you do today?

[C.J.]

Brother helped me give the last dose to the kitties and they were not happy, but its done now. I had to try twice on Bethesda since she fought so hard and managed to get away. They've all forgiven me now. I emptied the dry cat food bag and will need to get the next one out of the truck.

Storm veered way east of us and missed us entirely. Friends over in Kenner reported they didn't lose power and were Ok so I'm relieved.

Poor Rupert is still feeling awful. He can't stand up or walk. I gave him puree and pedialyte (separately) via syringe last night. I'd been giving him water via syringe in the mouth before that. I need to get him a bib bc some of it drips out. Wish i could get him interested in food, but the puree stuff did smell pretty bad. None of the cats would touch it. May have been a bad batch bc they liked it in the past.

Bro cooked steak for Mom and I cut it up for her. She's capable of cutting it herself but she doesn't like to do it and will whine like a toddler if I don't cut her food up for her sometimes. Then he made chuck roast in the pressure cooker.

Gonna have to give Rupert his oral meds soon and hoping he'll be able to swallow it. I'll follow it up with some pedialyte to wash it down and then see if I can get him to eat.

I don’t know how you do it, Z, but you make me proud. I’m dealing with the old man. He’s not all there due to dementia. All I can say is dealing with this **** is ******** and my hat is off to all of you that do it day in and day out. Don’t care if it’s your mother, brother, daughter or friend, my hat is off to you because this **** is hard and you gotta have grit to persevere through to the end.

For those of you that are in a similar position in life I salute you.

 

[zannej]

Thanks CJ. I know it could be worse and I get frustrated sometimes but its worth it. I wouldn't wish caring for a dementia patient on anyone. That is really rough. They can be difficult to manage.

Rupert went from not even being able to lift his head to standing up and climbing on my lap and climbing off my bed and weakly meandering around the hallway and kitchen. He purred when I said his name and curls his paws around my fingers. He's still a bit on the weak side and uncoordinated. He got tired fast. He won't eat on his own, but he seems to like the puree when I push it into his mouth with the syringe. He's not as fond of the pedialyte. I also gave him some water.

He's such a sweet kitty.

Meanwhile, my friend wants to buy a house. I'm wary because he said it was evaluated at $280k but that the seller said he'd take $100k. It's inherited and seller is a real estate agent and wants to split the profits with family. It's much bigger than where he lives now, has central AC, a detached garage, 3 apartments in the backyard, and all sorts of neat stuff. His wife loves it. I'm just worried there is something wrong that wasn't revealed to him and he's determined to get it even though the mortgage payments are going to be high.

 

[havasu]

There is a local scam around me where someone sits in an abandoned house, offers it for sale, takes the money, and escrow then discovers the house doesn't belong to the individual, after they have received the cash, or a considerable down payment.

 

[havasu]

Rusty just got home from the hospital, so if anyone has any needs or concerns, just let me know.

 

[Tile Tom]

My son & I got to hang out with world champion Ray “ Merciless” Mercer the last couple days. Hell of a fighter in his day. What a great guy!!

 

[zannej]

How is Rusty feeling? I hope he's doing better.

Been so wrapped up taking care of Rupert I've lost track of things. He eats on his own but has trouble. He accidentally pushes the food out of the bowl because he aggressively smashes his face into the bowl trying to eat ravenously. He's currently climbing into the windowsill and slightly wagging his tail. I think he wants to go out but he's not going out in his condition. He can get sunlight through the window.

Fippy likes the pet bed I got for Rupert. Rupert didn't like it and wouldn't stay in it.

Rupert prefers to sleep on me instead

When we first moved to the area my parents almost closed on a house before they found out the person selling it didn't own it. I think that happened to them twice. Once the son of an elderly woman was trying to sell her house out from under her without permission and the one here involved a divorce and the ex-husband was trying to sell the house that went to his wife in the divorce. Fortunately my parents hadn't paid anything. But that would really suck to pay and get scammed like that.

My best friend's wife got screwed on a house purchase a few years ago. The house was condemned and the seller didn't tell her. She bought it and went to get permits for some renovations and was told that it couldn't be renovated and that it would have to be torn down at her expense. Seller left the state and she can't find him to try to recoup any $. It was her first time buying a house. Not sure how the bank allowed the loan-- sort of wonder if someone at the bank was in on the scam. Or just incompetent. She sold it for way less than she paid for it (making sure the buyer knew it was condemned).

I'm trying to encourage her to offer less than asking on the house they want to buy since its been vacant since 2011 and from google maps street view has been for sale for at least 3 years now. Granted it has the worst real estate agent who is lazy AF and doesn't even try to sell stuff most of the time. Tomorrow is the wife's birthday so I'll be dropping by with some cake or something.

Went into town today to get beef stew at a local place. There is apparently only one person at the place who knows how to make it and she doesn't work on weekends and you have to go at the right time to get it before it sells out on week days. Fippy and Princess got some of the beef and were happy about it.

 

[MSLI]

Rusty just got home from the hospital, so if anyone has any needs or concerns, just let me know.

Best of luck Rusty feeling better soon!

 

[zannej]

Rupert ate an entire packet of Friskies Lil Shakes-- basically chicken puree. He's been restless and walking around in circles and fussing so I took him for a walk outside. He followed me off the bed through the kitchen, through the front room, out the front door, down the sidewalk and on to the grass. He walked in circles for a bit and kept coming back to me. Then he followed me back into the house. I discovered that he was still hungry when I was eating. So I got some rotisserie chicken and chewed it up for him (since he has no teeth and can't chew on his own). He purred while devouring it until he was full. He's still a little restless but he's calmer and probably getting tired. Earlier he fell asleep when I was listening to some music so I'll play it again and see if he sleeps again.

 

[highup]

I know people who could do this.

 

[C.J.]

Apparently it’s Caturday. Went to the park this morning and found two kittens. Cute as F. Another person we met in the park took the kittens home. Good thing because between getting them two kittens fixed and a couple rounds of shots each, those kittens will end up costing you $800. I’m a sucker for cats and I prolly woulda kept them myself but the old man just passed on Tuesday so we ended up with his cats, which aren’t but 6 or 7 months old themselves.

 

[DarisMulkin]

CJ sorry for your loss.

 

[havasu]

CJ, my condolences to you and the family.

 

[MSLI]

the old man just passed on Tuesday so we ended up with his cats, which aren’t but 6 or 7 months old themselves.

Thanks for sharing all those stories at the home with your old man they brought us into his life and in some ways into our own ‘old man ‘ stories RIP

Some strangers to your father are now shedding a few for him, for you ! and the family, take it easy man.

 

[Tile Tom]

Sorry for your loss Chris.

 

[highup]

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. You've been luckier than most on a way. Not always in a fun way for sure, but in a meaningful way.
My mom moved out of town after my parents divorce in 1977.
She lived in Vancouver until 2012. Her health was always iffy and because of that, my aunt and I talked and coerced mom to move back here into town. She was in an assisted living complex.
Work for me had been slow, so I wasn't able to drive back and forth to Vancouver. It was still slow after she had moved back here and I was able to take her shopping and go visit a lot.
I got a call the day after she moved here that mom needed to go to the hospital. The circus had begun. She was just dehydrated. She passed less than a year after she moved back...... A blessing in disguise. Had she died in Vancouver, she would have died at home, alone.
The night she passed, I was working less than mile away when I got a call from the care place. I was able to spend the last few minutes with her.
You understand what I'm saying. You got to spend time with the old man, caring for him, fixing gourmet meals for him, shopping.......
Your father couldn't have had a better son. I tip my hat to you.

 

[Floorist]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[zannej]

Sorry your old man passed, CJ. Mine passed in 2009 and sometimes it still feels like yesterday. I'm glad you took in his kitties. I'm a sucker for kitties too.

I'm exhausted. Got up at 5:30am to clear a path to back door so friend could take out the old one and put in a new one. required some floor repair at the sill, new jack studs, new header, and a lot of sweating and swearing. I mostly got tools, handed things to my friend, helped check level, and did actually help with some demo. I took out some asbestos insulation and old siding so friend wouldn't have to.

Back door is now in and I realized I installed the pet door backwards. Its staying that way bc it was a nightmare to put in an insulated core steel door. Still some more work to be done on it, but it's installed and our electric bill should go down a little.

 

[highup]

Well, today was the day... Replacing the driver side upper A-arm in my S10. The bushings have been gone for a few years on that side. After two idiots within one week, pulled out on front of me, making me slam the brakes on ....a clunk developed.
This made me re-investigate the bushings. The damage was beyond simply replacing the bushings. $110 got me a new Delco A-arm, with the ball joint, mounting arm and bushings. It's remove it all, then replace it in one fell swoop........ No bushings or ball joint to mess with, everything is pre installed, ready to rip.
That's the easy part, having everything pre installed.

On the driver's side, the steering shaft is in the way making it a royal pain to remove the mounting bolts. Once you get a wrench on one, you move it less than 1/4 turn, then have to reposition the wrench.
.....about 150 turns later, the two bolts are removed.
Oh yes, you have to put them on again later.
The passenger side is a pain, but this is a nightmare and why I've put it off for way too long.
I could have bought a crappy Chinesium A-arm for 1/2 the price or less, but with the more spendy Delco or Moog brands, you have a better chance it will fit exactly as the original.
There were two alignment shims on the front bolt and two on the rear bolt. I put them back just as they came off, hoping I wouldn't need to have a front end alignment. After finishing the install tonight at dark:30, I gave it a test drive and I think I'm good.
That's 7 hours I'm thankful to have completed. I need some healing now. I didn't stop from start to finish, forgot to drink water or eat......... but it's done.
If I die while driving, it won't be because my A-arm came off at 60 mph. It will be because some idiot pulled out in front of me.
.............I'm rethinking those two idiots that pulled out in front of me and made that clunking sound appear.
I'll have to admit..... I probably wouldn't have spent the money and the time it took had they obeyed the traffic laws and stopped instead of pulling out in front of me.
Slamming on my brakes both times created the clunk that made me realize how worn this A-arm was.
I want to hunt both of those ladies down, slap them, scold them...... and then thank them.
...so how was your Sunday?
Mine cost over $500.......
....however, on the bright side, I now have two sets of SAE and metric impact sockets, an impact wobbler, 4 impact extensions, two really nice Harbor Freight impact wrenches complete with a battery and charger, some new offset metric box end wrenches.
.....all because of distracted idiots.
Had I taken my truck to a shop and let them buy and install the A-arm, I'm sure it would have eaten up every bit and more of that $500.
........I've donated my old air tools to Habitat Restore.
I've gone the Harbor Freight Hercules brand and not regretting it one tiny bit.
power wise, they beat out DeWalt, Milwaukee and Snapon and they cost so, soooo much less. HF still has cheap crap, but their top of the line tool brands like Hercules, Doyle and ICON are very, very nice. They have sales all the time too, like two tools for $100. Or buy a tool and get the battery and charger for free...... stuff like that. It's become my favorite tool store.
They need to change the store's name to:
"We're Not Just Crap Anymore"

...sorry to ramble. Stop eating and drinking water for two days and tell me if you feel like the same person. I certainly don't.
Tomorrow won't be work. It will be a day of recovery. Between this and last week's spiral staircase..... I'm FREEKING whooped.

 

[Csason]

CJ sorry to hear about it, dad passed in 99 Mom made it to 100, a couple years ago, I visited her every morning super early before work and got her setup for the day so I miss her still and probably always will which is ok.

Prayers for you and your family and friends

 

[zannej]

Highup, I hate when people just pull in front of you or do stupid **** so you have to slam on your brakes. I actually had to back up today because i was pulling out of a parking lot to get on the street when a car changed lanes to move from left lane to the lane I was pulling into and the idiot didn't slow down and almost hit me. I don't know what is wrong with people. I was already halfway in the road when the derp decided to change lanes. Fixing vehicles can be so expensive. The tools are expensive too but it's nice to get new tools. My best friend ninjad most of my tools for vehicle repair but then he's the one who uses them.

Ordered my friend some of the goggles like the ones I have that I let him use when he was demoing the old door frame and stuff. Woke up around 10:30am feeling like garbage. Whole body is sore. Charlie horse in both legs. Had to move pillows around to support Rupert when I got up. Made breakfast for Mom and then later went to post office and Walmart. Fed Rupert and he tried to eat my hand because he loves the food so much. Just changed Mom's canula again.

The door is pretty-- I need to fill gaps around brickmould-- old trim was MUCH wider. Also need to cover the sill because it has flashing tape. Friend put sill in before he let me put tape on (I was getting something for Mom when he put it on). I'm pleased with the new header. Old one was two 2x4s with Great Stuff sprayed between them. New one is two 2x6s with 1/2" foam board in the middle. House slopes but the door is level so it comes up a bit on one side. I'm going to have to figure out how to level that out (without tearing the floor up) before I do vinyl plank. I'm thinking some leveling mix might work. Mess on the floor is from the demo. Sample of the flooring is down in front of the threshold. It's about 6.5mm thick. I'm going to put backer rod and door & window great stuff in the cavities. I may use the foam board between the cripples and then use another type of insulation over that.

Outside-- yeah, I know the cinderblocks are a hazard. Ground to the right is eroding and some of the blocks fell.

I'm thinking of either removing the brickmould and replacing it with something wider or adding other trim in between. I also need to add some z-flashing under the top J-trim and get the gap under the sill covered better-- it looks wonky since the door is level but the house is not. Eventually we'll get an awning to go up above the light-- hoping it will fit.

Since the flashing tape went over the sill I want to add some sort of tread tape over that or do something to cover it since I know flashing tape can't be exposed indefinitely and its super slippery and I want something anti-slip there.