Fun 4 day weekend

We decided to go to Sarasota for Friday and Saturday to visit with Bob's mom and sister Darlene. Darlene has been the caregiver since April for his mother since her knee replacement surgery. She is healing very well but with the emphysema now and the rheumatoid arthritis, she just can't be alone. She needs oxygen 24/7 now and has portable tanks that she is supposed to take with her when she is out anywhere, but...... she is one subborn old woman and her pride gets in the way. She says that she wants to keep them for reserve in case the power goes out (which is almost never) and that she is fine to leave the house without the portable oxygen. Besides it only gives her about 2 hours on the portable. She gets so worn out without the oxygen helping her to breathe and the one in the house is set so low she is still struggling if she gets up and moves around much. She refuses to set it up higher so she gets a stronger concentration and tires herself out contstantly.

Darlene asked Bob if there was anyway that we could help take care of mom in August while she goes back up to Illinois to be with her hubby for about 10-14 days. Darlene is getting a car and driving to Diane's and then they will be going to the Knepp family reunion in Indiana and then Darlene will go on to her home in Illinois to be back with Joe for a break. She could either drop mom off at our house on her way to Diane's or we could stay at mom's house while she is gone and take care of her there. Well, since Bob is working and can't get that much time off, the only logical solution to this is for me to go to Sarasota and stay with Bob's mom. They all were so very thankful and kept saying that I was a saint and going on and on... well, I told them not to be so thankful just yet because mom hasn't survived Janet yet. It will be a real challenge to say the least to be the one who has to help out the family. The up side is that there is a pool and fitness area where she lives and I can go there everyday to get a break. No way could she survive coming up here and with no real hospital around - it would be just too dangerous for her to be here. So picture me taking care of an elderly, stubborn old woman who is a remote control hog and runs the TV constantly flipping channels to watch the gorey health programs, with a cockatiel bird that makes messes all over and crawls up your leg to get to your shoulder, who also refuses to really do what she is supposed to do to breathe better but has the stamina of a horse because of all the vitamins she is taking. This is going to be a real challenge for me and for his mother (she will not know that this is going to happen until about the day before Darlene goes to get the car). His mother works herself up into anxiety attacks and the longer she has to think about Darlene leaving, the more likely she will guilt Darlene into not going. Like I said, they better not be too greatful just yet - we all have to make it through August and see if there are any survivors to this reality challenge. (HA HA)

From Sarasota on Saturday afternoon, we headed back north and made a stop in Brandon to see where Keith and Yolanda moved. They had just moved from Live Oak on July 2 and everything was a T-total mess but they said to stop in. The neighbors were having a July 5 holiday party for the neighborhood and lots of people, cars and music welcomed us to the Smith's new home. They really loved it that we stopped in and brought Cinnamon with us. Cinnamon just had to go poo in Alfies new yard (she hadn't pottied since she left Live Oak on Friday, except to pee) and she made herself right at home. Their house has a natural fed pond behind them and all sorts of fish and ducks are there. It was so relaxing to sit out back and enjoy the view and to enjoy the neighborhood noise and to see where they are living now. We stayed for dinner and then they wanted us to spend the night so we did and it was just so nice to enjoy their hospitality and friendship. We all went swimming in their pool and just totally had a great time. We then left for Live Oak Sunday morning about 9:30 a.m. and headed back to our place. It started raining and it poured off and on about 3 times before we made it home by 2 p.m.

On Monday, July 7, we went to WILD ADVENTURES theme park in Valdosta GA. It was a really small park with a water area called Splash Island. We spent most of the time there and really enjoyed the tubing lazy river attraction and the wave pool. We even went down the water slide in a double tube that flipped us over when we came to the bottom. Just another thing that I can flip. It was tons of fun and we had a blast.

Today, Tuesday - I will be heading to the vet's to pick up the dogs and do the laundry and Bob has gone back to work. We are just praying that the house sells soon and that we can get moved back to the Brandon area to be where we really want to be.