Frazzled!
Don't you hate it when, in the course of a single week,...
you take your car into the dealership for a major repair and the first time you take the car out for a spin, the vehicle has another problem — a problem which requires returning to the dealership?
you don't find the new problem with your "repaired" car until Saturday, when no neighbors are available to help shuttle you home and, therefore, you have to wait until Monday to return the vehicle to the service deparment, thus dragging the car repair into its second week?
your beloved pet seems fully recovered from a minor surgery, later develops an undiagnosed problem at the incision site, has to wear the hated Elizabethan collar (aka "the cone," aka "the lampshade") and continues not to improve despite following the vet's new set of instructions to the letter?
you come home from a doctor's appointment and find that not only has one of the political signs in your fenced front yard been stolen but also that the missing sign has been replaced by the opponent's sign?
here comes the tree-service expert to give an estimate for removing a dead tree and he sees those two conflicting political signs in the yard of his prospective customer? He must be thinking, "Man, what an easy mark this ditzy woman is going to be!"
you have four medically related appointments in the course of one week, all because a cabbie rear-ended you some eighteen months ago?
all of the above puts you so far behind schedule that you don't have time to respond to comments at your own blog nor to visit your favorite web sites nor to answer your emails or even to read the daily newspaper?
posted by Always On Watch @ 11/05/2006 09:13:00 PM
49 comments
49 Comments:
Good writing though.
Hugs and Prayers AOW sounds like you need a big dose of those right now.
Pastorius,
I've had a terrible week (Your adjective is a more powerful word and has more punch--and a better description of my week). I thought that blogging about this bad patch might serve as both catharsis and explanation to my regulars as to why I'm AWOL.
Pastorius,
Addendum: I do my best writing when I'm under pressure. Maybe I should start writing a book right now!
Justin,
Thank you!
I've been so pressed for time that I haven't had time even to request prayer from my bloggers' group. But now that I've found time to write this, one of the members of the group will pick up on my needs.
For seven days, I've missed out on keeping up with my friends' sites. I hate that! And not being able to get by Beak's, where my blog-family is, has left a void in my life.
i sent you a couple of photos and asked that you let me know if they came through, my being a novice and all and i didn't hear from you and figured something must be up.
may G-d be with you and walk you through this trying time.
one of the photos was the oinker in my rig with a catchy phrase - ratz! you probably deleted it thinking it was junk mail...sigh...
i'm still learning how to use this new camera and e-mail photos from it so it may be some time before i send anymore.
remember: if you do not get physically better ask for mental strength - there is something to the mind over matter idea.
Nanc,
Photos? I don't recall seeing anything with attachments from your addy.
I want those pictures!!!
Ah yes indeed. That sounds like a week from hell. You need a visit to Mr. Tanqueray.
AoW, just remember you have lots of friends who love you and are praying for you.
AoW- I prayed a couple of times this week for you, it must have been a doosy if G*D breaks in and says pray! So you didn't even have to tell me, somehow I "knew"!
And poor Cameo too! Y'all have been through it, will keep praying and will pass on your situationS!
And may the Lord send you a more serene week.
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
The Vermonter's seem to have tree removal down to a science. The trees in the back yard where I park always crack in the snow. They are sliced up in moments and in someone's fireplace before the week is out. Some people use the wood to reduce the natural gas
durring the winter.
Beak,
Some people use the wood to reduce the natural gas durring the winter.
We have an oil furnace here. Last winter, when the price of fuel was so outrageously high, we culled out little stand of woods on our back lot and kept our costs for heating down to a minimum. We'll be paying extra money to have this latest tree's wood split and ready to burn--if there IS any usable wood, that is. What killed this 150-year-old tree was some kind of borers.
The only reason it has managed to stand this long is that the wisteria vine went wild and reached out to keep the tree standing. Some 20 years ago, a tree surgeon recommended taking down the tree. But I couldn't agree to that because the tree was still leafy and beautiful. Apparently those borers couldn't be dealt with.
When the tree comes down, it might be just a shell--completely hollow. The tree company is the best around and will not charge me if the wood turns out to be worthless for burning.
TMW,
The Lord puts matters on our hearts. What a blessing that is!
The beginning of this week will not be serene. I'll have to deal with getting the car looked at and with the vet's new recommendations. Cameo is only 5 years old, so I'll go the distance in treatment. I rather suspect the vet will recommend debriding or a skin graft. Money, money, money!
EB,
My blog family is such a blessing.
Steve,
What I really need is a vacation. Hawaii springs to mind!
Definitely a week to forget, Always! We all get them. Move on! Next week will surely be a good one for you. These things always seem to balance each other out.
Instead of Hawaii, why not drive that short distance to Baltimore, get onboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas for a nice week long cruise? You will never regret doing that. I have been there and done that!
Darn that real world...Getting in the way of blogging!
What a bad week. I hope it looks up for you!
We discovered that we very likely have a water main break this weekend, and on our side of the line! Gads!
Apparently, the company that put the mains in our neighborhood knowingly used faulty piping, and were decided against in a class-action. Hopefully, we would be included in that.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, and pray, too!
I wish I could send a cappucino via cyberspace to you from Sydney. One step at a time AOW, and a cappuccino between each one.
My dog is recovering from an op on his back and my car was dented by a fellow who did not know what he was doing. And all this in the middle of exam stress.
Empathy from Oz to you
Mark,
Tomorrow morning, I get up bright and early to take my car back to the dealership, then come back home to call the vet (or maybe the order will be the reverse). I'm hoping to have some resolution by the middle of the week.
I spent much of yesterday and today doing "teacher stuff." I was so far behind!
Steve,
I've never been on a cruise. Of course, by the time these various bills are paid, I probably won't have enough to catch the Metro and go downtown to visit the National Gallery of Art. :(
Brooke,
The last time we had a major water-main break here, we ended up with sewer rats running all over the place.
What you said reminded me of another recent foul-up, one which was quickly resolved, unlike what I'm enduring the past several days...The shower head fell off, the pipe breaking off inside the wall. Fortunately, my cousin-in-law is a building contractor and managed to fish that pipe out so that the shower could be restored. I rely on that pulsating shower to keep my back loose.
Skylark,
I'd rather be in Oz, I think. We're coming into winter as you're coming into summer.
I hate taking my car to get fixed. It's almost guaranteed that something else will happen to the piece of tin in about 2 weeks after the initial "tune-up". I'm convinced that dealerships make their bread and butter more on repairs than the actual sales themselves.
Florian,
My husband does most of the repairs on our vehicles. But for once, what was first wrong with my car required a proper garage. The dealership recommended another $1000 of repairs, which my husband can do for less that $100 in parts.
I'm convinced that dealerships make their bread and butter more on repairs than the actual sales themselves.
Some problems are due to poor design or to built-in obsolescence. Other problems require diagnostic equipment we don't have here at home.
Let's see....When was the last time one of my vehicles went to the dealership for repair? Back in 1998, when I inherited my Dad's 1985 Plymouth Fury III; but at that time, one of our best friends was service manager at that particular dealership, and what the car needed was an A/C overhaul.
t's almost guaranteed that something else will happen to the piece of tin in about 2 weeks after the initial "tune-up".
I didn't get even that long. My car's engine had a miss within just a few hours of my picking it up. Ugh! One good thing, however: When the dealer did the diagnostics last week, my car didn't have a miss at all. I'm nearly certain that this new problem is their doing.
Yikes AOW..they say bad things come in 3's!..so u must have had your fill!...things will calm down , you'll see!..hang tough!.:)
praise G-d for men who still work on their own vehicles!
my timing belt went out a couple of years ago on my little car while taking the kids to school one morning - nancpop was working out of town and only home on weekends - a neighbor towed it home on a lowboy and nancpop fixed it on a saturday. he took a nearly thousand dollar repair and fixed it for less than a hundred dollars and several hours. priceless actually.
i had to drive the great pumpkin for the rest of that week - gas hawg number one!
we've retired the little car to the order of "ranch rig" over on our mountain.
that's what our sermon was about this morning - staying the course when things look like they cannot sink any lower. i'm thankful in all things.
AoW- I'm blessed that I have a REALLy good mechanic, and he and most of the mechanics in his shop are Christians! They have even done repairs and only charged me for parts, or not at all! They consider caring for a widow and fellow believer a priviledge! They have saved me much misery and worry! Plus they have lent me vehicles when mine had to wait for a part! I wish I could haul them with me, but G*D wants them here to take care of alot of other widows!
I certainly hope Cameo has a problem that will heal up without more doctoring!
Have really blessed week!
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
You poor thing. It's been a rough week. I hope the election results put you in a happy place.
If that dealership fouled up your car, don't let them try to make you pay for it!
And they will, too!
Keep on the sunny side!
Looking at the half-empty side of the glass has made us appreciate the half-full side all the more.
Here's to a re-fill! Salud!
Boy, that tasted sweet! Beer-tender...
1. The car is back at the dealership, and I'm awaiting a phone call after diagnostics have been run.
2. Cameo will go under the knife again this afternoon, for an exploratory. We don't have any other choice because she's not responding to steroids--except to be hungrier and more aggressive. Her lack of response to the steroids probably indicates that the abscess drained back in September has a previously missed pocket or that an internal stitch hasn't dissolved as it should have.
Farmer,
My glass is still half-empty!
Perhaps I should have said Bartender! Another round for the Lady, please...
Sometimes it takes a while to get good service...
...especially with so many thirsty souls at the bar.
Try a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream and some classical music, something soothing and pastorial!
Poor Cameo, I'm sorry she has to undergo more!
tmw
Well the locals say one needs fresh wood to cook roadkill. I am not into roadkill so I will take their word.
praise G-d for men who still work on their own vehicles!
Why thank you! If I can't fix it, I know somebody who can for a twelve-pack of beer. Depending on the vehicle, I even know some people who would work on it for the priviledge and indulgence of their passion to do so.
My glass is still half-empty!
My glass is always twice as big as it needs to be.
Beak,
the locals say one needs fresh wood to cook roadkill.
Only once in my life have I eaten roadkill. A young doe was hit in the road, and a friend of mine brought me a roast.
Mr. Beamish,
My glass is always twice as big as it needs to be.
I saw your delayed picks for Sunday football. You must have been using a big glass on Saturday night. LOL.
TMW,
Try a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream and some classical music, something soothing and pastorial!
I haven't thought about Harvey's Bristol Cream since the round of Christmas parties I attended last year.
Pastoral music? That's a good idea. Let's see...I love Appalachian Spring. But I think I have it on vinyl, not a CD. Too inconvenient to dig out those vinyls at the moment.
We have satellite TV, which offers some good music on the upper bands. I just turned off the news, which is boring me to death with all the political commericials, and found a classical station which is playing the overture from Wagner's Siegfired Idyll. There! That's lovely.
Poor Cameo, I'm sorry she has to undergo more!
She's come home with a HUGE incision (about 4 inches long!), with drains poking out, and a strict regimen of my applying warm compresses twice a day. And, of course, the poor girl has to wear "The Cone"--for two weeks! The drains come out on Friday morning.
The vet and I are awaiting the pathology report. We expect it to show nothing of consequence, but it might give a clue as to what's been going on with Cameo's obsession with that spot on her back. Best case scenario: subcutaneous necrotic tissue from the previous operation, which was done at the beginning of September.
Farmer,
so many thirsty souls at the bar
Feel like singing a song yet?
Mr. Beamish,
If I can't fix it, I know somebody who can for a twelve-pack of beer. Depending on the vehicle, I even know some people who would work on it for the priviledge and indulgence of their passion to do so.
Over the years, I've "paid" a twelve-pack for numerous repairs to my cars. LOL.
My husband is one of those fellows who loves to work on cars. But not having a proper garage makes it tough to get certain jobs done.
Today, the dealer said that my car needs new plugs and wires. Very possible, though I think all their tinkering around with the intake manifold fouled a plug; the number 4 cylinder is missing, and it wasn't missing before the so-called repair done at the dealer last week. Anyway, the dealer wants $500 to replace the plugs and wires. My husband can do that job in the carport, so I told the dealer, "Forget it! I'll come by tomorrow to get my car."
Seriously...Men who can successfully work on cars are gifts from the Lord. My Dad was a master mechanic--the best I've ever known--, and I 've been blest with a husband of nearly 35 years who is also a master mechanic.
AoW- Poor dear, I hope that this will be the end of this mess! Poor you, if you were closer, I'd trip over to "lend" you a libation! Hey, when I get moved and my house built, wanna come for a visit? I'll have some Harvey's on hand, I'd have it anyway! Whenever I head over to Barnes and Noble, I check out their classical cd's, have a nice little collection.
FJ- Lead us in a song sir!
tmw
TMW,
If you've got Harvey's on hand, I just might have to visit a new state.
All this trouble with Cameo is the result of my irresponsible neighbor's letting her young tomcat run. Well, he's gone now; he went tomming one night and never returned. The idiotic woman let that poor cat stay out in all kinds of weather. When he disappeared, she came crying the blues over here. I told her what had happened with Cameo and her tom. She had not a clue that toms bite females when they try to breed. Cameo was spayed years ago, and she'd have no part of that tom, of course, despite his best efforts. During those best efforts, she got bitten. So far, treatment has run nearly $800. No trip to California this year!
WHT,
Yikes AOW..they say bad things come in 3's!
I'm well over that limit. Ugh!
TMW,
Right now, satellite radio is playing Debussy's "Menuet" from Suite Bergamasque. Next up, Clair.
Both are piano music, of course.
Sounds like your alive AoW. Its a tragic comedy, you just have to look for the comedy.
I dont have to look very far for the comedy because everyone tells me that I am a joke!
Silly female should at least offer to pay for the treatments operations, medicines! Hope she learned something, but I won't hold my breath. Sad to say but common sense seems to be "edumacated" out of people anymore! If she gets another cat, hope she spays or neuters and keeps it home!
I'm still down and today is recipe Tuesday, I have a Nanc recipe to share, and she's got more "hacker" problems. Wonder if she prosecute the twit? And at least get back something of what she has had to pay out! Seems what I said about the Beatitudes hit some targets, and are being born out!
Sorry to ramble, you're a patient soul!
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
...you think you're frazzled...
I wonder what Cameo feels like.
AoW- Yes, men who fix cars are a gift from G*D! My late's stepfather was a certified crew chief with NASCAR, since he lived in Daytona...my late often spent many races at the track, in pit row! Needless to say, he knew his way around under a hood, he also knew when it was too big for him. Now my neighbor behind me is teaching my son, yes, definitely a blessing.
I have a bottle of UNOPENED Harvey's, want me to save it?
tmw
Aww, your poor baby (cat)!
I'll pour a glass of wine for 'ya!
AOW,
You've sure been hit with a lot in a very short time. And all that on top of unremitting back pain! Maybe it'll all be over and done with very soon!
I sure hope that Cameo heals well and that the path report is good.
The various suggestions re: booze qua medication sound very compelling and quite delicious!
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