...and now for the youngest son...
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| Sun, 06-01-2008 - 3:33pm |
Since last post we've had the funeral for best friend's g'son killed in Iraq after which they stayed w/us a few days since an Army buddy had his wife come out to stay w/Amber for a couple weeks so her place was getting a little crowded. I'm glad they took us up on our guestroom offer - but it also gave us a chance to see just how badly this past year has affected them. His heart landed him in the hospital early last year and he had cut way back on his drinking - for awhile... They finally moved up to their place south of FLagstaff but lots of work to be done as it's basically sat unoccupied for several years, moved G'd into their place here in the valley while her DH was overseas this tour; then R's brother was diagnosed w/prostrate cancer for her to help him deal with - he's mildly retarded but living on his own under the care of a church in Bakersfield, CA; W's brother quickly succumbed to lung cancer up in northern Idaho late last Fall; now Lupe being killed this Spring. He's an alcoholic - has been for years, but the last couple years has stressed him again & I told DH he's now reminding me of my Dad out here last summer - shuffling around, sleeping, really aged this past year - + he's drinking like a fish again (probably the only thing that's holding him together anymore - he's pickled!!). Just don't feel that he's going to make it a whole lot longer at this pace. DH & he are lifelong friends from wayyyy back - like before jr hi...
I finished my SEI course w/a100% but pulled a C in Calculus II - our whole class did (& we're all "A" students!). Then found out I missed passing my AEPA Secondary Math certification exam by 5 points (lowest scores in the trig/calc section) - so will definitely have to retake it. It's offered 6 times a year in Flagstaff or Phoenix, but will probably wait til it comes to Kingman again next April. At least won't be making any decision about working at the HS this next year...(I want to be fully certified when I go in not feeling pressured to comply within that 1st yr). Not getting any response from the NAU math dept. folks about how I can get the next 5 courses I need before I can enroll in the Masters program I want for teaching Secondary Math so still up in the air about what's going to happen this next year. I feel like if I'm not taking classes, I should be working (to pay for this stuff anyway + put away some for S21's last year at Harvard Law since we'll go thru his savings this next year), but I don't want to commit to the open position at the jr hi (they start school July 13th) then find out I can take the classes I want to better prepare me to teach at the HS cuz I won't do both, teaching F/T & taking even one class is toooo much at this point! But then doing nothing isn't exactly what I had in mind either... Well aside from my little p/t food program job & subbing.
S21 finished his finals Wednesday the 14th, walked his dorm stuff to a friend's for storage for the summer, and flew from Boston to Vegas Thursday to drive to Phoenix Friday to take care of pre-employment drug screening, buying some work clothes, & hopefully connect w/housing prospects he'd found on Craig's list before starting his internship Monday AM. Drove back home Friday nite to p/u his 1500 pg law review competition packet he'd had fed exed home which was due postmarked back to Harvard the following Friday. He did crash at friend's apt for his 1st work wk but his housing prospects kept falling thru & he was quite stressed trying to do the law review til he finally round filed it. If he hadn't so much on his plate at the same time, he probably would have had a shot at one of the 40-50 spots for 2nd yr editor of Harvard law review, but he was competing w/others who weren't starting their internships til June & just couldn't give it his all. Loves the internship w/Phoenix Dept. of Justice major crimes unit tho. THey had him writing briefs his first day in & he's just feeling very comfortable w/it all. Finally did find a place this week, DH drove down to help him move a queen bed a friend gave him across town Wednesday. Other than that he's now settled for the summer.
Had my g'kids here over Memorial day weekend while D32 & her DH tried to go out on the river and Lake Havasu w/friends who have their boats there. Our weather just didn't want to cooperate tho. It was 117 the week prior, then grayed right down to almost downright chilly and even got some rain Friday & Saturday. Cleared up a bit Sunday so they stayed & actually went out, was beautiful Monday so they took the kids out w/them. They are great kids of course---but three full days is very wearing on G'ma. Get to go to their house this long weekend & do it again when D & SIL have to be out of town for their CORR race weekend administration job.
...and then there's S18. W/construction to a dead halt around here - he hasn't worked for a few months now. DH decided to pay him & a couple friends to clean out the back pasture fence line and dig out all the mesquite trees that have taken root throughout the pasture since we just haven't gone out there much in the past few years... So they worked hard for a couple weeks, earned some $$ (which for now I took out of his small trust savings from MIL's $$ we set aside after she died & will pay back over the next couple years before he's 21), & went on to haul away some of our scrap steel that's piled up out there for scrapping money. Got the idea to go scavenging about the valley for more & ended up getting themselves arrested at gunpoint and charged w/a class 4 felony for allegedly stealing a beam from one of our valley's large farmers, had their truck impounded, were hauled to jail, etc... A bit of overkill for what actually happened - & we're hoping when all is said & done it turns out to be more like what it really was - maybe a misdeameanor... But, we shall see as that progresses...right now they're in the system & the guy's flaming the whole thing to use them as a scapegoat I guess & so far they haven't even had a say in the whole thing - won't til the preliminary hearing June 17th - maybe!! I think DH may try to approach some of the farmers we know, a couple of them know S18 & see if we can quell some of the out-of-proportionedness that seems to be going on (from what S18 is hearing).
Oh well, life goes on... Finally went to get the 1st of my Xmas gift certificate massages (spent so much time stressed out for so long - still having trouble getting thru the knots & restrictions in my right shoulder & neck) - trying to relax & will go back again next week; finally starting to clean up the basement wall shelves from S18's destructive years (seems like 11-13 was particularly bad w/him)of tossing thru shelves of board games, etc we've collected over the years w/the 5 kids (the open shelving we finally hung a couple of patio bamboo roller shades over last summer as we were finishing the basement painting so we don't see the clutter...). Dug out some more books to do some reading this summer, quilting on D25's Xmas quilt, & again some spot work on D32's quilt top I started yrs ago that is still a long way from being ready to quilt... DH did do quite a bit more work on the back patio & short garden wall, & began the back walkway - but now is working on the replacing the back pasture fenceline - that's more fun involves digging holes w/the tractor...It's a guy thing!! Warming up again the last couple days - back to A/C & staying inside during the triple digits...
Guess I should get off here & go help - but then I have a couple phone calls to make to catch up to my Mom, Sis, & D25 also. Take care & more next time.




Hi JoAnn
I am so sorry to hear about your dh friend. Sometimes that addiction to drinking is just to strong in some people they just cannot over come it.
Your family is a busy as always. Hope everything works out with your math classes and
Sorry to hear about your friends grandson, how sad that is.