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Well we had a steady trickle of people all day yesterday and sold $180 of stuff. I was hoping we would have sold a lot more, but I am still glad we did it.

 

My younger son said that it didn't matter how much money we made, he was just happy to have stuff cleared out so he can organize his computer area better.

 

I have each son $20 for their help and the rest will be reserved for a future family vacation.

 

I loaded up some things to go to Goodwill and the nicer things will be donated to our church or to friends and some things I will try to sell on ebay.

 

It's good energy getting things organized!

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Well, $180 is still pretty good! I'd so like to be doing that and having more space but just not enough time right now.

 

LOL, I was reading something last night that made me think of you. Regarding the use of lights - I see there is a type of "black light" you can get which shows up pet urine on carpet. They are not all that expensive and I think the site was called something like "UrineOff". Found out my local vet stocks some of their products. Apparently, you turn of all the lights, then go hunting for the stains which show up as a color. Then you put tape around the stains so you know where they are when you turn on the lights and you use their stain remover. Apparently, people find pet urine on furniture and walls, and that attracts the animals to going back to the same spot and surrounding region. Once the weather gets warmer and I can open everything up, I will use it and steam clean the carpet in my living area. I'm not aware of it being too bad, but know that on occasion, it has happened. Apparently, this product gets out old stains very well too and is stocked by a lot of vets.

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Just something else that might interest you - maybe you already know how to do it - I was reading online about how to make those nice room deodorisers that are like a type of vase with essential oils in them and bamboo sticks placed in them. They are meant to be easy-peasey. There is a nice scent here I have smelled called Zanzibar but too expensive for me so I am looking about to make my own. It is mostly just lemon, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves - not a really feminine scent or over-powering which is what I prefer for a room.

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Ha! You must have ESP! I was just researching those black lights. I don't know if the stray cat is marking but when I pulled boxes out from the garage I noticed some things had been sprayed on.

 

I usually but a gallon of this enzymatic cleaner called "Nature's Miracle" that helps me get up those kinds of stains and smells from the carpet. I need to clean my carpet because my elderly cat that I had to put down last spring had developed a drooling issue plus he had a few accidents that I had cleaned up by hand. Right now I am concentrating on clearing stuff out of my house and carpets will be last.

 

The enzyme cleaner works amazingly well.

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Hi Lum,

I have some very old stains on my carpet and haven't been able to get rid of them. I tried everything I could think of. Borax helped a bit. I'll check out the "Nature's Miracle". Does it get rid of old stains as well?

 

Silver, I am not sure. First I try white vinegar and water. Borax would have bedn a good choice. I usually use the enzyme stuff for smells, but maybe it works well for old stains too? It might be worth a try. The enzyme is supposed to work on things like urine and kitty urp- ups, etc.

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Took my son to the doctor today. He wanted to talk with her about his depression. He is at a very awkward stage in his life- he will turn eighteen in a few weeks and will no longer be seen by his pediatrician.

 

We were going to switch him to an internist a few years ago but the pediatrician told us that they go up to age 18. She is such a great doctor and my younger son goes there so we stayed.

 

So I went to pick up my son for his appointment and he looked so disheveled and he hadn't shaved in a few days. And all I could think was how strange it was to have to take him to a pediatrician when he practically has a beard. Lol.

 

And then I waited in the waiting room during the appointment because my son said he didn't want to have to put a filter on what he said to her.

 

At the end he called me back to go with him to get some lab work done. And the doc came and chatted with me to fill me in informally which I sure appreciated. Once he turns eighteen she will not be able to do that without his permission.

 

So she is putting him on Prozac, because it is one antidepressant that has been approved for his age group. So worried about having him take that, but so worried about him NOT taking anything because he needs the help. I just have to trust in the dr's expertise.

 

The reason we started this with his pediatrician is because he hasn't started college yet. The doctors at the health center are not available for fall students until the end of September. So the ped said she would see him for the next month until he goes to school.

 

The boys are with their dad this week, but their dad's girlfriend is best friends with a couple that are promoters who are putting on an event this weekend. Somehow my ex and the boys are on staff for this event to help out.

 

They are camping there. Not sure how I feel about that- my youngest is 13. But they are good kids and I do hope this is a clean event. Even so, if they see people being stupid then perhaps it will teach them what Not to do...

 

Anyhow, both boys have been talking about this all summer. Tickets to the event were about $175 for the weekend. I think it is electronic music mostly so my kids were excited about that.

 

After my son's dr appointment I had to drive him out to the music festival location since his dad and brother were already there. I knew the traffic would be bad and it certainly was. There was a mile of cars all lined up to get in the entrance. This is at a park that is out in farmlands, so I can only imagined how the local residents felt about all of this.

 

Anyway I got him there and had to rush home because my son's girlfriend got a job selling knife sets door to door and she had made an appointment to do her demonstration with me. I already told my son to tell her that I have no money but that I would be willing to let her practice with me.

 

So she did her presentation and she was very cute. She says she gets paid for each presentation she does. Well I got through it, but I did buy one small thing from her- and she didn't pressure me to because she was already packing things up to go. But I wanted to support her.

 

Life was busy today. My heart is with my sons right now. I wish for them to be safe, happy, and productive.

 

Today when I read the news I saw a report of a young man that was driving his car from Arizona to Washington to go to college. Somehow he ended up missing and they found his car in Oregon somewhere and he is no where to be found. His parents said goodby to him to go to college thinking like he would come back, but it doesn't look like he will be. It just sounds like foul play. So sad. My heart goes out to his parents.

 

I am grateful for the safety and well being of my precious sons.

I am grateful for amazing doctors. I am grateful that my son opened up to me about how he feels so we could get him help. I am very grateful for very supportive friends and family!

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It is 1:40 am here and my son just texted me to remind him to write a thank you note...

 

Sheesh...

 

On the other hand I am glad to hear from him.

 

The missing boy I mentioned earlier is still missing but they think he decided to go in the wild and try to do a survival adventure. I hope he is okay. He is the same age as my son and my heart goes out to his parents. He was supposed to start school this week.

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My ex called from the music festival yesterday to let me know that the boys would be with them an extra day since the festival was still going on last night.

 

He said that the promoters had some extra tickets so they gave some to my older son and he invited some friends out for some of the concerts. He was also able to get his girlfriend in for some of the concerts. So glad he is having a great time.

 

And my younger son has met up with some friends there too. I am sure they will be exhausted when they get here. And their tents will be soggy, because it really rained yesterday.

 

Going for a walk with a friend today- hope it doesn't rain on us. We will probably walk by the river since her dog likes that walk.

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I had a great walk by the river today. My friend's dog knows the sound of my truck and she heard me coming. They were out in a field and as I drove past, she got so excited and really rushed to meet me in the parking lot. Such a greeting committee!

 

my kids are back , and my evening with the boys was a bit challenging- actually with my younger son mostly. They were so exhausted from the music festival and I suspect my 13 year old was left unsupervised for much of the weekend. He said he went to bed at 3 am this morning and he has been so grumpy and full of attitude!

 

However my older son seems perkier this evening and very pleasant to be around. His doctor started him on Prozac on Friday and while the pharmacist said he won't notice any changes in the first month- I see a hint of life in him! I am so encouraged!

 

His blood tests came back fine except his vitamin D levels were extremely low, and that can effect his mood and energy level too. So he started taking that today, and I told him he needs to be outside for at least 15 minutes each day, rain or shine.(And we get a lot of drizzle and rain here in the winter).

 

Fall seems to be around the corner here. School starts in 2 weeks!

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Hi Silver hope you got through to your son.

 

My kids got home last night. Younger son was so grumpy! But he got over 12 hours sleep last night and is much more enjoyable to be around.

 

Today I had to go meet with the insurance agent to review health insurance plans. In some states the rates will go down but in my case the rates will go up substantially.

 

So the only way to afford it is to choose the plan with the higher deductible. That one will be only $100 more per month but the coverage is way worse. The agent said I will be better getting the coverage through the state starting in January because he thinks I will qualify for a tax credit.

 

The insurance will be about $500 per month just for me.

 

My ex is going to put our kids on his girlfriend's policy and she works for the state so her coverage is phenomenal. They will have dental and vision coverage. It will save us each about $200 per month...

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Hi Lum,

I finally got through to my son's number (I wasn't sure it was his until he confirmed by email). He said he was on the train when I rang and couldn't get his phone out in time to take the call. I found out last nigh that I have to dial 0011 before his number and the country number as I am calling from a mobile phone. I also got some postcards with pre-paid stamps so I'm going to start sending them to him. Now he has been gone for 4 months, I am missing him very much. He will likely be away for some time to come - could even be that he is away 12 months. I'll just phone and write him more. We keep meaning to Skype but haven't go to that too.

 

All that health insurance sounds a headache. I don't have private coverage atm and I have managed pretty well with the health system we have here considering all of the medical care I have required in the last 2 years. However, if the Labor govt loses at the next elections, most of us will have to consider private cover. I had it when I was married and then on my own for a while - and my son was always covered on his father's plan so I didn't have to worry too much about that. $500 per month just for you is a heck of a lot. Will you be able to get much of that back with tax rebates?

 

Your son must have really needed a good sleep. When my boy was a teenager, he was a night owl and then would sleep very late into the day on weekends. He is still not a morning person especially as with his job, he would work very late at night and not start until late mornings/early afternoons - like me I suppose - only most days I don't sleep in. There is a woman I work with who has teenage twins - aged 17 - a boy and a girl - and the girl is definitely a lot more difficult for her. My ex also had a girl and a boy, and it was the girl who gave him a lot of grief. This woman (the mother) has brought the kids up on her own - the father has spent most of the time since they were born in and out of jail on drug-related offences. This girl works her butt off to provide for the kids the best she can. They ring her at work whining about a lot of quite silly things, and the girl says she doesn't like her mother working, but she still expects her mother to financially provide for all manner of things including interstate holidays, girls mobile phone, deb dress and associated costs, blah, blah, blah. Makes me glad I didn't have a girl.

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Hey LUM,

Lack of vitamin D can cause significant depression. I get that in the winter because there's so little sun in the winter. I have to take vitamin D in the winter or just sit there and cry everyday. But yeah also too you probably won't see significant improvement with Prozac till about six weeks or so. At least my husband never had significant improvement until about 6 to 8 weeks. But he was taking it for anxiety not depression. I hope your son feels better soon.

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Silver: so glad you finally heard from your son!

 

As far as the behavior issues, I have heard that girls can be more challenging at this age. I hAve boys, so I wouldn't know. But even then, each boy has his own personality and with that comes their unique set of challenges and gifts and qualities.

 

My younger son is now grounded for a week or more because he took off and ride his bike to the other side of town and didn't tell me who he was with. To top it off, he said he had thrown up sometime yesterday afternoon (and didn't call me about it) and yet I had to chase him down finally at 7 pm and go to pick him and his bike up.

 

I grilled him on what he had been up to and there are inconsistencies in his story. So I basically told him that his friends can come to our house after this week, but he is done going over to that side of town because he didn't choose to handle the responsibilities that come along with the privileges. I don't trust him any more.Aargh.

 

My older son seems to be taking his Prozac and vitamin D each night. He forgot last night, so I reminded him. He goes to college in 3 weeks- I truly hope he will find a way to remember on his own.

 

Vic: thanks for the info. I thought I saw a spark in my son once he started the meds but he is back to his old tricks of hanging out on the computer into the wee hours of the night. I made him go to bed at 12:30 last night. The night before I went to bed and apparently both boys stayed up until 3 am (which might explain why my younger son got sick?).

 

I lose out on my own sleep trying to monitor my kids, but it has to be done. School is just around the corner.

 

Silver: I am clueless about the health insurance and taxes. I do think I got some tax credit last year? But my ex did my taxes for me (or rather he guided me to do it) and I have not done my own taxes for 20 years. We were separated for 4 years but the divorce went through last fall. This year I will have to figure it out on my own.

 

And then the government is changing how the health care coverage happens. But the insurance agent said I am low enough income that I might receive tax credit for almost all of the cost of the insurance. And that would be a relief. They are still haggling about it all at the government level so who knows how it will all turn out for 2014.

 

If I got a full time job then I would get health insurance, but I have been applying and it is hard to find a job at my age when I have been a stay at home mom all these years.

 

I really need to update my skill set.

 

Today it it overcast and drizzly and it is nice for a change. We have had literally 2 days of rain all summer!

 

Well I had better get going because I am going to meet a friend and her dog for a long walk. Maybe a hike on some trails nearby.

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Hi Lum,

I go to an accountant each year for my taxes - over here you can claim their fee against the taxes you pay so for me it has been well worth the money. I was thinking of doing it myself next year, but I think the best thing is for me to just have as much knowledge as I can to take to the accountant. The Taxation Office here has a good website with tables and calculators on it. I've only just become aware of that, but it is well-worth having at least some familiarity with.

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I just read a fascinating book called "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan.

 

Just wow. It is a true story and a medical mystery of what happened to a New York journalist.

 

All I can say is that I believe this will give some valuable information and insight into understanding and possibly treating some cases of bipolar, schizophrenia, and they even think possibly autism.

 

I bet there will be a movie about this. It is a very compelling story.

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LUM,

Do you have Netflix? If you do watch the documentary, a Mother's Courage. It is about this mother from Iceland who travels the world for help for her autistic son.

 

I don't but a friend does and she is coming to visit next week. I'll be sure to watch it!

 

My son uses my ex's girlfriend's Netflix when he comes to my house and I was mortified! But then they called him one Saturday night because she couldn't remember her password, so I guess she does know he is using it after all...

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