Its been half term for DS2 this week so he's been home all week. He would have been out on his bike occasionally but was far too scared to go out into the back yard as we've had a rat wandering around and to be fair I've not gone out either.
Two pest control people have been out to try and sort the problem. The second lot took one look at the bird feeder and said it had to go as no self respecting rat would eat poisoned bait while there was so much other food available. I had been surprised when the first guy said the bird feeders were no problem. It didn't please me to stop feeding the birds but worth it if we finally get rid of our VERY unwanted visitor.
We are hoping it has finally pissed off, hopefully dead, as on one's seen it for a few days now. I'm not putting the bird food out yet though, just in case. I have to say I do feel incredibly guilty about not feeding the birds, they do visit the bird feeder in vast hoards and I feel responsible for them. But I did explain to them that if they were less messy there wouldn't be so much food around and they wouldn't attracting unwanted visitors to eat the food. Not sure they understood but I did explain!
Other than that we got our cat, Renata named after a character in a favourite book of DD's The Magicians of Caprona. Renata is a very affectionate cat and is really good for DD, seems to have made a massive difference to her depression which is such good news. Unfortunately DD is still in massive amounts of pain and struggling to cope. She has been flaring for a few weeks now which isn't a good sign at all. Not helped by a problem with her wheelchair which was out of commission for a couple of weeks when it died, it turned out to be a fuse so not a majorly expensive problem.
DD has managed to get to her water colour classes and has found then beyond exhausting but she really enjoys them and is getting a lot of satisfaction from the work she does. The class is on a Thursday morning and is full of the sorts of retired ladies who used to be in the YAS when I worked there many, many years ago. They are nice ladies and its a real shame I have to stay and support DD as they'd chat to her if I wasn't there and she'd enjoy them. But there is no way I could leave her even for a bit, she really is struggling to cope and needs me there, focused on her all the time.
I can see I am using this post as a sort of diary to record what's happening in my life. Well its as good a use of my time as anything else.
DS1 has been off uni for a couple of weeks with a severe cold, he was struggling to breath and obviously felt crap. Its one of those times when I would have loved to be able to go and look after him, but he's too far away. I did offer him a train ticket home for a few days or even ending his dad to collect him, but DS1 declined...he didn't feel THAT poorly, but he did agree he'd not have objected to being home and looked after while he was ill. He is, finally, much better but its been a long old business. Hopefully next week he can get back to working on his final year project, he really doesn't need to fall behind schedule with that.
I've not managed to get to the gym for a few weeks as DD has just been too poorly to leave and when she has been able to cope there have been appointments or meetings so I've had to stay home. I am very much hoping I can get back to normal next week as I really miss exercising...not a phrase I ever thought I'd say! I've also put on a pile of weight since the start of the year but will go back to sensible eating as soon as half term is over...the year has not been easy and eating a pile of rubbish has definitely helped me cope.
Other than that my parents came over for brief visit last week. DP was working from home that day which made the visit easier as he could soak up half the conversation. My parents both carried on separate conversations simultaneously...they neither of them listen to each other. My dad does at least attempt to listen but is deaf, my mum is also deaf though would never acknowledge she was and is also incredibly rude and self centred and just doesn't bother with other people, other than to shout at my dad all the time. She is not good company.
She was in hospital briefly the week or so before...she'd got a cold and was coughing and made her chest sore...we've all been there. Anyway she made such a fuss about all the pain she was in...in the middle of the night...that my dad phoned the emergency doctor number and an ambulance was sent to check it wasn't a heart attack. She was taken to hospital where it was determined she'd not had a heart attack. As I had no intention of visiting I sent some flowers, narcissi which DD thought highly appropriate...anyway when I phoned to check how mum was she was telling me about the flowers and that she has shouted at my dad because he'd said 'you have some flowers from your daughter'. She was cross because as she said 'they might have been from your brother'. She is batshit and has lost any sense of appropriate boundaries...she had no conception that telling me that she was cross because the flowers came from me not my brother might just be considered rude.
Unfortunately she will last for years yet in spite of her continued 'ill health'. She is patently less than happy that I don't go and visit and that DD and DS1 don't put on a show of being doting grandchildren. Well its not going to happen, DD and DS1 are both adults and have no liking for their GMA. DD is way too poorly to visit and not well enough to provide a floor show for DM when she comes to visit, even assuming DM could be trusted not to be crashingly rude, something DD is far to emotionally fragile to cope with. DS1 is just too busy and is getting on with his life...hopefully this summer once he's finished his degree he'll get a job and move out from here. My DM has some fairy tale vision in her head of what her life is supposed to be like and adoring grandchildren and fawning daughter obviously feature...well its not real and its not going to happen. You reap what you sow and she has been nasty and rude to DD far too often, so no. my children do not adore or even like you. DS1 won't commit to going to her funeral and DD is way too poorly to attend, even assuming she doesn't die first. If that happens DM will have the shock of her life as she won't be told until after the funeral that DD has even died. DD is VERY clear about who she will allow at her funeral and it doesn't include anyone except DS1 and DS2 and me...there will be a lot of people who will be very unhappy....I will take great pleasure in telling them why! If they have no relationship with her alive why should they get to enjoy the drama of playing grieving relative at a funeral.
Anyway I am hoping the year improves...it will get warmer which will be good even if nothing else gets noticeably better.
