Happy Poo Year Peeps!

Awwww (Miss A's Xmas with the family)

Madelyn & Miss A

Aunty Pam the Candle Sniffer

Sidney the Serious Warrior

Sid, Maddie & Miss A

Sid & his cousin Miss A

Madelyn

Oh gawd....someone got a Furby

Sid hahahaa

Pretty girl

SnapChat

Riley high 5ing Uncle Regan

Riley

Xmas Eve, etc.

The Parkside Hotel...scene of Xmas Eve

Xmas morning breakfast...rootbeer float goodness

Hotel lobby that our suite looked down on

Hotel lobby that our suite looked down on

Hotel lobby that our suite looked down on

Pie, chips, spring rolls, brownies, chocolates, shortbread, cookies, fudge, cheese, crackers, meat, rice krispie squares, pop, chicken balls...this all equals amazing epic heartburn!

hahaha they were damn hot

my gift from Kate....awesome old mason jar made into a dish soap dispenser...awesome!

Kim & Shawn...we played Settlers of Catan and Sequence most of the night after swimming

And a jig of happiness I did when it was all over!
Funny that when you have a child to focus on for 20 years you forget how weird xmas is and how much you don't really like it that much. This being the 1st year without Miss A in 20 years was kinda blah...and I was well aware this was just the 1st of it's kind....b/c she won't be home next year either :(
Not to say it was not a nice time in the hotel with Shawn and Kim, it was....it was just weird anyhow. Plus I ate too much (imagine that) and felt ill b/c I was also on the verge of menstruation and that is never a pleasant experience. It also explained my 3 hour crying jag on the 23rd where I just stood in the kitchen bawling while making 4 batches of rice krispie squares...bawled and bawled with full logical awareness that I was completely crying over nothing...my kid is fine, my moved ones are fine...nothing to cry over...yes...wah.wah.wah. 

On boxing day I promptly took everything down...lights, tree, cards...not a trace left of xmas in this house...back to normal...that is typically how I roll though...I put everything up early b/c I know that once xmas is done I feel ZERO christmas-ness...the season is dead to me.

Sounds like Miss A had a fun time with the family...especially the kids...she helped get Sidney all riled up and into the xmas groove. Riley looked like he was his usual handful self but stupidly cute...he really is a character. Madelyn looked to be her usual lovely self, loved having Miss A around.

Sidney & Riley....look at Riley's face hahahahahahaha He slays me with cuteness lol

Miss A at home having out mini xmas...loving having her photo taken...ugh

Miss A & Madelyn Xmas 2013 in Powell River BC

Miss A has been letting the bird fly since she was a kid...love this collage HAHAHA

Miss A in Powell River over Xmas....my pretty girl.

Kim's phoenix tattoo...turned out really nice I think!

Kim xmas morning at the hotel....camo onesie jammies and troll hair hahaha

Happy Fartmas & the gift of all gifts...

CEDAR aka SANTA

Christmas is a weird time of year. I always have this odd level of anticipation leftover from childhood. This year is my 1^st Xmas without Miss A. She is up with the family in Powell River…I am staying in Victoria with my sister. Kim (sister) and I are renting a fancy hotel suite Xmas eve, should be fun…food, swimming pool and hot tub. Last night Miss A told me that she was going to The Zoo (PR's scumbag watering hole) with her friend Tayla who is also home for xmas...they were little bastards together as children...looking forward to the stories about the shenanigans though I had a missed call on my cell from Miss A at about 1230 am...not sure what that is about...

This year I got a package in the mail that kind of messed with my head a little…mostly in a nice way. My good friend Deanna passed away earlier this year and she was always quite thoughtful and lovely around the holidays or birthdays. I could always count on a little parcel of goodies from her, personalized and clearly of things she had been collecting with me in mind. This year I received a package from Mike and Jordyn, her husband and daughter…inside was a note from Jordyn saying Deanna’s gift cupboard had a bunch of things that were clearly for me so they wrapped them up and mailed them down. As you can imagine, this gift from the grave was beyond emotional…gnome soap, bottles of Amber Glow incense, a sock monkey in PJs, a book about neurosis’ (haha), etc…you get the picture. It was a lovely scene, Miss A and I blubbering like big dumb babies at the kitchen table. Even the Xmas card was a handpicked gem. Such a wonderful thing for Mike and Jordyn to do…I know the whole family is still drowning in grief, she was the pillar of that family, keeping everything together and her being gone is devastating to every one of them. For them to be able to do this for ME while they still struggle with the loss of her was incredible. It really blew my mind. Feeling extra bad for them all over the holidays. Deanna was the driving force behind xmas in their family, this 1st xmas without her is sure to be extremely difficult.

CEDAR the FART KILLER

It has been a tough year on old Powell River friends…Deanna passed…then Mark Hamilton. He had been battling an evil bastard of a brain tumor for many, many years so his death was almost a bit of a relief in ways…it could not have been pleasant to see him in the condition he was in and I would imagine he was a little battle weary. They made this [CLICK HERE] amazing video tribute to him that sucked me right in, felt like I was watching a movie about his life, did not want it to end. I was a beautiful tribute.

Last week Paul Fairclough died. Like I said, I think my Powell River friends should be a bit worried because it seems a bit epidemic. 43 is not old enough for all this death and carnage.

Things at home are settling in. Mary is still staying here, Cedar arrived yesterday and I can see him being here with her just improved her mood and decreased her stress level immensely. Someone will be bringing her son Austin down xmas eve so they will be having xmas eve and xmas morning here...

Shawn should be here at some point over the next few days...

Xmas will be a pile o' weirdness this year...with Miss A being away and the nasty atom bomb farts that we all have nightmares about that Cedar drops on the regular. ha.

Friday Night Dance Party...and beyond...

Have I mentioned I love Macklemore? I do.

MOI!

What a week...Kori is sill hanging in there...face and head swelling down a bit but still quite bad...which is normal they say. I saw him the other night and regardless of my preparation in my head I was not ready for it...it was very upsetting. Thankfully the blood thinners did not cause any more clots or brain bleeding so at least now there is a bit of relief knowing the blood thinners should ward off any new clots...

Kori has realized the gravity of his situation I think...he told Mary this was a complete nightmare so he clearly gets it. His physio has started...he is able to push back with this left leg, no idea if that means anything long term good or not but it is better than a kick in the arse. As it stands they say he will be in this hospital for 4 mths...then possibly move back hm up to Nanaimo for further treatment and rehab for many more months after...no idea when he can be at home, they mentioned at one point that could be a year away. Hard to say when his brain is still so swollen they can't really know exactly what the damage is and how it will affect him long term. It is clear they are not familiar with strokes in such a young person...lots of 2nd opinions are being gotten b/c I just do not think Dr's see stroke patients this young very often.

Cedar

Mary is hanging in there ok...getting stuff done and extremely busy with Kori every day and getting him to eat...and generally looking after him b/c without someone there all the time he doesn't really get optimal care, that goes for any hospital and most situations. Hospital staff do not have an hour to feed 1 patient...they just don't.

Cedar was here this weekend for a sleep over with Mary...he is quite a sweet boy...and was really needing some mommy time. He is liking his time at his aunt and uncles with his 2 cousins but made it very clear he wanted xmas with his mom...so Mary, Cedar and her 19 yr old son Austin can stay at my place and do xmas since Kim & I will be at the hotel swimming and hot tubing, acting like rich assholes. Then we can come back here xmas day and hang out and make homemade xmas pizzas lol

Twinkling lights and a spinning record...

Met up with Aunty Pam and Uncle Jimmy for dinner at a pub and some music bingo tonight...fun. Pam was our tables personal karaoke star...at the table only...not into a mic thank gawd.

Haven't heard from Mary all day...makes me nervous about Kori's condition. Cannot help but be on high alert about that, it is a delicate situation. 37 is young but I am not finding his young age giving me much comfort...

Kori & Mary

Kori had a mechanical valve put in his heart about 10 yrs ago (due to a birth defect) - since then he has been on blood thinners to avoid clots...the stroke he had this week they figure was a valve clot...it has affected the right
side of his brain leaving his left side paralyzed. That is permanent though with years of rehab and such some ppl regain some of that but it is too early to know right now how that will play out. At one point he was somewhat alert and talking a bit....but his brain kept swelling so they had to do an emergency operation to remove a piece of his skull to relieve pressure on the brain...the piece of skull is not reattached...so he is bandaged with a hole in his skull...the operation and 1 day in a coma did the trick...last night Mary said he was talking better than before, cracked a joke or 2, recognized everyone...such a relief to know that that part of his brain is still there and good thus far...the fear now is more clots b/c they cannot give him blood thinners when he has a damn piece of skull removed...

Mary is hanging in there...scared shitless of course but getting things done...working on stuff she needs to work on while being there for Kori...it sounds like Kori will be hospitalized for well over 6+ mths possibly a year...she has dibs on A's room while she is gone so that will hopefully be a source of comfort not having to worry about where to stay here since they live about 1.5 hrs away in Nanaimo. Cedar is with his aunt and uncle (he is 5) and has no concept of what is really going on...he thinks he is on the longest, most fun sleepover ever...poor little bug. Going to be a hard road for all 3 of them.

Kori & Cedar

Really hoping for the best possible outcome...in the meantime I am educating myself about strokes and trying to be positive and hopeful.

This week was a bad week for my old Powell River friends...Mark lost his battle with cancer after 10+ years...we fell out of touch when I moved to Victoria but he was a good man, very sad loss for his kids, family and friends.

Miss A has landed in California and is safe in her grandparents house tonight...relief relief relief...my mind is spinning like mad right now...with more than 1 thing to worry and fret over it is busy and muddled in my mind...in my next life I want more hair and better coping skills please and thank you.

Really?

What a week...Mark Hamilton died...an old friend from Powell River...battled brain tumor/cancer for over a decade and he finally gets to rest.
This week my lovely friend Kori had a massive stroke...and is in rough shape, flown here to Victoria...surgery tonight to alleviate the pressure in his brain...this is pretty scary. His wife Mary is staying with me and I cannot imagine how she is coping with today...it was bad enough before but knowing this are getting to the point of no return and surgery is required - that's a whole new shit storm.
I do not even feel like going to see The Vinyl Cafe show tonight...seriously...don't wanna go. Not in the mood.

It's Official...

A's Australian working holiday visa was approved.

Will be an empty nester in 2 mths...she will only be home for about 2 wks in the next 2 mths as well so...there is some practice.

Many mixed feelings but quite happy for her as this is what she wants...

Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;
My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse.

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Shakespeare

Read more at http://quotes.dictionary.com/search/empty-nest+syndrome?page=1#br7rp8ipOIh7S4Ts.99

Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;

My heart prays for her, though my tongue do curse.

Shakespeare

Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;
My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse.

Share

Shakespeare

Read more at http://quotes.dictionary.com/search/empty-nest+syndrome?page=1#br7rp8ipOIh7S4Ts.99

Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;
My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse.

Share

Shakespeare

Read more at http://quotes.dictionary.com/search/empty-nest+syndrome?page=1#br7rp8ipOIh7S4Ts.99

Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;
My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse.

Share

Shakespeare

Read more at http://quotes.dictionary.com/search/empty-nest+syndrome?page=1#br7rp8ipOIh7S4Ts.99