Before the Day

before the day (title)
Of course, the day has begun. I've been up for hours, awake since dawn started appearing and the animals started moving about in anticipation of belly rubs and ear scratches and, of course, breakfast. But my daughter snores and Daisy has rejoined her after our nice walk. Some chores done.
I have decided not to try pursuing a part-time holiday help job right now. Takes the stress away of feeling I REALLY needed to get applying SOON. Any regular reader knows I'd be half nuts to consider it with my limited time, but, my monthly budget has no squeeze room.

(I think I'm missing child support this month, too, due November 1st. It may have come Friday or Saturday, however, being I missed the mail carrier both days.  I'm still missing my main set of keys which include my mailbox key, so I have to time being home for when the mail carrier, the one who knows me, delivers the mail. Usually misplaced items show back up by now so I'm getting more worried. I almost lost my spare set the other day; Boss found them on the floor near my desk oy.)

Two pairs of pants I'd bought M don't fit, so she has just two and that doesn't work unless I'm doing laundry almost daily. She and I both really like the one pair, too, good jeans gotten for great price. I can't find that receipt, so maybe M will just keep that pair until she is that size:)   Returning the other pair in my "spare" time later this next weekend after Thanksgiving proper.   Doing laundry mid-week is hard enough as it is; I'm often rewashing clothes that sat wet in the washer, waiting to get into the dryer.

I felt so badly when M also wanted a skirt yesterday, not even a fancy one or expensive, just a new skirt, and I had to say no right now. She doesn't require a skirt right now, but she likes them, and honestly I'm not sure that any of her dresses /skirts fit except a summer one.  Nota big deal, really, just would be nice to let her try it on, it was classy and modern and more grown up but not sleazy, not worrying about an extra $20-40. once in a while. (It looked great with that winter vest, too! M didn't complain; she understood.) Even when putting back the red polartec-sweats she can really use. (I'll look for them to go on sale.)

Oh, and a solo dress. And her school activity fee, and gosh I'd forgotten, dentist coming up for her. (Mine's long overdue.)  

I'd enjoy someplace like PetsMart, with a 20% discount, that'd help my petfood budget!, then again, what pets want most is time and attention.

I don't wish to go insane, working a place that'd not send customers home until midnight. When would I sleep? When do they sleep?  I'm much less grumpy when I get my sleep, heck, I'd likely eat poorly, and insufficient sleep most certainly wouldn't help me control my ADD.   And, I won't take time away from M, not much, anyway. So, how often could I work, and would it really be worth it?

Maybe after I get my father more situated.
Two Meals on Wheels called me back right away, giving me such relief, and hope, both saying to please contact them again to let them know how it went with the one for my father's region, that they'd help if need be. The one for Dad's area did call me back, but said she'd get more info, hopefully by that afternoon if not later that morning. This was last week, so, trying not to be discouraged, I'll call again Monday. (Note a link in my sidebar to a national locator for food programs such as meals on wheels.)   Amy told me that in her area of New Jersey, Meals on Wheels is FREE!   Seems that they are lowcost, or free, run individually.  One for my father would be $29./week for two meals. I forget if that one is a one hot and one cold meal a day, or what. I do think this would be of social AND nutritional benefit to him:)  I'm so excited for it to work out.   It just hasn't YET.

And getting those utility aid forms completed for him, what a nightmare to me, who has trouble with forms to begin with, and I can't tell if it's one form for all, or different ones for each. Would it benefit for him to get to a doctor FIRST, so his new prescriptions could be included, that he may receive?   I think I can't wait. His bills this month are higher than his income, his mortgage outrageous.   I felt like a heel having him repay me for some of the groceries and supplies I'd gotten him recently, but, I needed that.   Even if I KNOW I'm covering him for the first half of December.   He doesn't have it.  

At least I got his range working again the other week (bought matches and relit the pilot lights), and ha, his one toilet unclogged:)  Of course, some overflowed so THAT wasn't exactly fun. M was proud of me for having fixed it, however.   M fixed Dad's cell phone to ring instead of just vibrate. She pointed out that she figured out that on Nextel phones, it's buttons on the side that control this, not via menu.  I'm not getting Nextel ever for my purposes. Too confusing for me.

Resoaking up water from his kitchen, needing more lightbulbs, the list is non-ending. Getting a plumber through church is still in process, and would go much quicker if I had more time.  My father really needs me to spend more time moving him along, not less. I cannot stay doing this alone, and he needs so much more, his plumbing needs even more crucial now "Dad, do you know where the mop went?"  "Oh, it's upstairs, I tried to mop the bathroom floor up there; there's water on it." UGH.  I did what I could, for now.  Found a tub at a dollar store, which helps. The main grocery store wanted a minimum of $10. for their buckets. The good thing is that Dad tried, too, had iniciative. The bad thing is that he failed to remember to mention it until I asked about the mop, and doesn't seem to fully comprehend the importance of this. I cleaned up what I could in THIS bathroom, too, but it needs a lot more. 

Maybe a part time job after I have a chance to go through things in my home more completely. I've started, of course. We give things away here and there, or toss out.
"Samoas! We got Girl Scout cookies; a Girl Scout gave them to us!" It made my morning last weekend to hear and see a young Cub Scout bouncing about, excited for the 3+ cases of cookies I'd left outside our front door for his pack's food drive. Of course, they were tested first, just to be certain they were still good enough to eat:)  Hehe.   Besides, can't go giving anyone something one wouldn't find acceptable for oneself; I do strongly believe that.
M had orders for all of these, the second or third round of orders, but the GS cookie season seems to stretch so long, and coordinating getting them all to everyone, individually, a 3rd time, and money, it just gets to be too much.

Step by step, those steps again:) I have places to take some of this other stuff, just needs to be DONE.  Like my dishes in the sink, just needs to be DONE, more time.  Never mind painting my bathroom, and putting up blinds, both of which we have supplies for and not yet the time:)

Narnia movie last night, until M got too tired. She enjoyed her friends birthday party Friday night.  Last night, M was resting on me, along with two cats and a dog (before we got M into her bed). We'd gathered Thanksgiving meal supplies for this afternoon, talking with my mom and my SIL (really my stepbrother's ex-wife but what the heck). M started her day off with drumsticks and hardshoes in a choreographing / rehearsal session for dance which would wake anyone up.

I like it NOW. Quiet, typing but also getting things done. I have to multitask, sweeping or folding laundry or something, while I'm typing. We'll get to church, and enjoy it:) then drop Dad's frozen foods off to him which ended up staying in my truck yesterday and not brought in there. He's fine w/out them, butmay as well have them. Besides, I can dump water out of various pans. Then, Thanksgiving at my mother's:)

Actual Thanksgiving Day I think I'll take Daisy out for a nice long hike at one of my favorite spots. Check to see if the barn can use a spare hand, so others can celebrate with their loved ones. Relax. Maybe take some banana bread to my father. I'm careful not to announce this to IRL people, so they don't feel obligated to invite me over, or me feel obligated to go. I'll celebrate with M today:) miss her on "thee" day, but hope she's having a great time with C and that part of her family.

I'm hoping today goes well. My mother is all excited for it, so that's real good.  M is excited, too.  We'll drive up there with my SIL and niece, which will limit my mother's chances for digs against me. 

Mom sent an e-mail yesterday that I didn't know how to take. I thought the offering of aspirin from my dad to her, had triggered her simply wanting the rest of the money he owes her. She wrote that we may have to cancel our trip to see the Rockette's if she doesn't have that back. Mind, at the time, she said she knew she'd not see it, so if it could just be repaid her whenever the house sells.   My first reaction is that she's trying to have me think, oh no, we can't not go!!!! let me get him to write a check! Well, heck, he is negative money for the month as it is, not as if he wouldn't be happy to repay her.

He did repay just over half of it, so that's good. He'd gotten some refund check in about the time we went to Maine.   Mom always implied (or said?) she'd get M her solo dress (for dance), then was saying she can't without some money reimbursed. Well, planned to repay her some, anyway, and that was a lot of money he repaid her thus far.  Mom still nixed the idea of stopping by in PA for M to try on a dress enroutehome, which was the idea on the way up.  She'd gotten, um, not really liking our company (or mine more like it) any more it seems, by that point in our trip together, I guess. I don't know, but I hate that stuff. Visiting her family in Maine brings out all sorts of emotions for her, I do know that. AND, she is due the money, AND it's HER money. Just, ACK.  

Ends up, she's acting all happy and everything, and yet saying she'll be really ticked if she has to cancel the NY trip, hmm, so maybe her recent heart/ER scare has her with more bills now. She has insurance, but I don't know what it'd cover.  I'll let M bring up the great solo dress she tried on yesterday, well, Mom knows of this one already, but not that it's been tried on. I don't care if we go to NY, except that I know Megan and my mother really wish to, and yeah, it'd be a lot of fun. Minus the leaving HER town NLT 5:30 a.m. part. I may have M spend the night before, so my mom is less stressed. She won't care if I'm late (and miss it), but she'd be upset if M missed it.  Well, unless she'd be out the money spent on me.   It is her Christmas gift to us, and near her birthday so us spending the time with her in a manner she choses is also our "time" spent with her, too.

Mom did reserve a room overnight for the Oircheatas in 2 weeks, which is so not needed for M's purposes now. They posted the schedule, and M is on early Saturday, and late Sunday. We live so close by. The idea was for M to be able to enjoy the event more fully, and give Mom and Bob a chance to rest during the day, etc. They'be both real supportive of M, and that's good.  Mom says she'll keep the room, so I'm thinking it's for her purposes more.   The awards won't be given out until late in the day.  

Maybe Mom is overextended, so fine, we'll cut back. Maybe she's just wanting her money back. Maybe, it's something inbetween. 

But, for a couple more hours,I don't have to worry about that:) Shower, wake up M. Oh, wait, sleeping dance diva is stirring. Only Daisy is snoring now, lol. Okay, what's for breakfast? (My second one, I have to eat two a day.)   Actually, a nap sounds good to me right now, too:) Gotta hustle now. Have a blessed day, all. Maybe I'll see the construction business owner guy today at church who may help me at Dad's, too.....