Saturday, February 21, 2009

I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to write anything. Good thing someone gave me a poke about it.

Earlier this week was my 49th birthday. Ouch. I can't believe I am that old. I don't normally feel it, or even look it. Sometimes though, my creaky bones and short memory span remind me of it.

On the other hand, I have finally quit celebrating the anniversary of my 29th birthday. Which will make my 24 year old daughter happy.

I think that next year I will celebrate my 50th doing something that I want to do- whether it is taking a trip alone (like I am doing next month) or going to a spa. Something that is meaningful to me. This year reminded me that I am responsible for my own happiness and not to rely on anyone else, including my family, to make me happy. Does that make sense? I don't know, but it does to me.

I did spend a lot of the last few days helping my 87 year old neighbor out. He's a riot. Legally blind in his right eye and totally blind in his left but he refuses to move out of his house to his daughter's which just drives the poor woman crazy. She is in WV so dropping everything isn't easy for her when he needs help. So I do what I can. Take him shopping, dr's appts, go through the mail, fix his tv remote when he messes it up, lawn work in the summer and shoveling in the winter. But most importantly, just spending time with him. We can argue, disagree and basically bitch about anything to each other. Call and tell his daughter, who has become a good friend, how crazy he is driving me and then just laugh about it. She has her own health issues and hopefully this helps her a bit too. I went with him to NYC on the train yesterday to see his eye specialist, one of a very few who does the kind of surgery he needed to save his good eye. That's always fun. He complains the entire time about how long it takes and I spend it telling him to behave himself. Then we get back on the train, fall asleep, get home and go out to dinner. In return, I use his garage for some storage. Nice exchange. But knowing he is still happy and has someone to keep an eye on him is what is most important. While I am gone, he will be having another eye surgery but his daugther will be here so I won't have to worry either. Good timing on our parts.

My neighbor on the other side is 88 and never slows down. That woman makes me tired just watching her. She still does the driving for her friends who are too old to drive or just don't see too well anymore. She still has all her own teeth, wears glasses to read with (her Dr. thinks she is an alien), doesn't take any drugs and just has a creaky knee. I want to be her when I grow up.
Although her Catholic Church has always been a big part of her life, and she is very involved with it, it is one of many around her closing shortly. I don't know what she will do without that activity. She is also on the local hospital board so hopefully that will keep her going. So far she has outlived her husband and two of her daughters, and my husband's first wife. I love that I can go over there, sit down and have a beer and just relax and talk. We have talked about taking the train into the city to see a matinee and I will need to plan that for when I get home from my trip.

Both of them wear me out and I am almost half their ages.

Today my husband is supposed to take me out to buy my birthday present. I won't remind him of it and we shall see what happens.

I have about 100 pages left on Suz Brockmann's Dark of Night. I fell asleep on the train and didn't get to finish it yesterday, so I may just go do that right now.

I have a lot of updates to do on my ipod for the trip. I am loading it up with all my favorite bands and songs- anything I can sing to. Loudly. No one will be there to hear how off key I am. So I have been downloading like crazy. Any one have any suggestions??

2 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday! Your neighbors sounds fabulous. I always throw in a few podcasts on my ipod, or else I would lose my voice from the constant bad singing I engage in.

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  2. I forgot about those. I really do need to update my Smart Bitches ones so I can listen to them too!

    Thanks for the reminder!

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