Aftermath

We've worked and worked and worked and worked, and our homes are mostly back in order this evening.  The new floors look wonderful, and with all of our things back in place there is a real glow and warmth to the places.  We are thrilled.  Here are some photos taken just this evening --

Too, He and I had the opportunity to play this afternoon -- what He insists was a matter of "breaking in" the new floors.  It was a good session and good for us both after such a long, disrupted and stressful week.  The floors are now, officially and thoroughly broken in...  So here are THOSE "aftermath" photos...

swan

It's Time To Break-In Our New Floors

swan has always been the recipient of special spankings to "break-in" new things. If she gets a new pair of pants, or skirt, or tights, or bathing suit she gets well spanked in the new item, and wtihout any clothing at all as well, to "initiate" its possession.

She has lusted after laminate floors in our condo for years and now the day has come when she has them. Now, unbeknownst to her, this afternoon is the time to break them in, and so we shall. She has been able, in all our shifting about of our stuff, to relocate our new spanking bench neatly into our bedroom nestled right under the rack where we store all our spanking implements. I no longer will have to select which implements I need for a session and then move them to the room where the bench is. Instead, the entire collection will be arrayed on the wall in a rack right next to where I'll be standing as I blister her:)

So she intends to post the flooring aftermath pictures as she did the prelude ones. I'll have to see if I can provide some aftermath pics as well:)

All the best,

Tom

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.

The Weekend Ahead

We've been all torn up this week while the crew has worked to lay our new laminate floors.  Today, they are finishing the last bit -- vinyl in one bathroom, and the front hallway on my side, as well as a bit more trim work to do.  I imagine that they will be done by noon, or perhaps a bit after. 

What lies ahead for us is clean up and resettling of all our things. 

If you've never been through the installation of laminate floors, then you might not anticipate what we've discovered -- this process is massively dusty!  There is a fine film of sawdust over every single flat surface.  On the floors, certainly, but on every bit of furniture and in every crease and crevice that is anywhere near horizontal. 

So, today, we'll be sweeping,  mopping, dusting, vacumming -- and then trying to haul everything back in from the garages, and put away. 

That will make the cats awfully happy.  The sincere hope is that by the time Monday rolls around, our world will be back to normal and we'll be able to find the everyday, mundane items that a person needs just to function.  Because, the reality is that it really should not be a challenge to find your toothbrush in the morning...  Just sayin'...

swan

Mom Update

Well....I swear she is going to outlive all of us!

She had another "event" yesterday. Required epinephrine, but no CPR and she is just fine. Weak and healing, but fine. Cardiologist was there last night when I was there and checked her out. Mentioned maybe doing a Heart Cath. or a chemical stress test to check out her heart. But when the team came today, decided those things are unnecessary. They did an EEG, Carotid artery ultrasound, heart ultrasound. Found her about 2 pints low on blood and gave her a transfusion.

Nurses are calling me now to give me updates instead of me calling them.

I am taking a night off and going home to see my new floors and spend some quiet time with my peeps.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring....but today, things are good. Maybe all of you are good Karma!

T

Please....

Last week my Mom stopped me on my way out of the hospital and said "Please....". Then she said "Larry". I asked her if she wanted me to call my brother and she said no....she patted her chest and said "Larry".....ahh....my Dad.

My Dad died from cancer 23 years ago. It was quick, it was ugly.

My Dad was the love of my Mom's life. She never dated after he died. The night we were rushing back to the hospital because the nurses called and said he was not going to make it through the night, she told me "I am losing my best friend".

And she is ready to be with her best friend. She is tired. She has worked SO hard to be well enough to go home. And now, I think, she is ready for her friend.

Today, I called the hospital for my daily update and the nurse was very pleased. Mom had eaten breakfast, was sitting up in a chair and had gone to the bathroom....IN THE BATHROOM! The catheter had been removed. And she was having a really good day. I asked her to tell Mom that I would be in after work and that I love her. That was about 11am.

1:30pm my brother called to tell me that she had stopped breathing and her heart had stopped. The crash team was with her and trying to revive her. I left work, got Tom and we flew to Dayton. She was back. She was weak and in a great deal of pain. They had her on a bipap machine to assist with her breathing. The entire family was there. It was scary and sad. Mom is tired. She has worked so hard. She has done everything she can.

When we were getting ready to leave, I kissed her goodnight and she reached out and said "Please". I told her I would do whatever she wanted. And she said "Please" again.

I know what "Please" means. It means "Please let me go", "Please know I love you", "Please let me be with my best friend".

I am her POA. I am the one who can stop all of this. But I have a brother and I do not want him to hate me if I let her go without him involved in the discussion. So I called him and we talked. It takes him longer to get his head wrapped around things, and he wants another day. I think he just needs more time to get used to being without her. I have explained that a DNR would not keep them from trying to improve her health, that it would just stop them from extreme measures in resuscitation.

Mom was resting comfortably in a Morphine dream when we left. One part of me prays she is still there when I visit tomorrow. But a big part of me wishes she could "Please" be with Dad.

Thanks for all of your hugs and wishes.

T

Like a Kid at Christmas

One of the things that I teach is math.  I am a confirmed math geek, and I love opening up the language of mathematics to my kids.  Too often, by the time students get to me, they have come to be convinced that they cannot "do" math, don't like math, and are just no good at things having to do with numbers.  It is one of my deepest delights to take those "math phobic" students and show them ways to decode and unravel the mysteries of math, and learn to deal with it with confidence and, sometimes, even a sense of enjoyment.

Tomorrow I will join with my 52 sixth graders and a brave group of parent volunteers to take part in a day that we will forever more refer to as "Measure Mania."  I have a set of hands on explorations planned that are designed to allow my kids to explore a variety of topics related to the mathematical discipline of measurment.  Tomorrow, my students will analyze a "crime scene," make and fly frisbee-style flying saucers, measure the change in the mass of chewing gum as it is chewed, build scale models of traditional Chinese courtyard houses, make sand clocks and water clocks, and design boxes to hold choclate candies for the "Ooey-Gooey" Candy Company.  They will measure distance and time and mass and volume and surface area and circumference.  They will determine appropriate scales to make models and floor plans.  They will use what the numbers will tell them to come up with a theory about "who done it," just like a forensic scientist. 

I've worked for weeks to plan it and put it together and make all the arrangements.  I have everything poised to go first thing in the morning.  I am sooooo... excited.  I cannot wait.  I am just like a kid looking forward to Christmas.  I can't wait to share this day with my kids.  I am so anxious for them to enjoy and learn and feel interested and excited and intrigued by the things they will do tomorrow. 

I know.  It is a "teacher" thing.  It isn't anything that probably excites and interests most people, but I am just like this.  This is the other passion of my life -- and I cannot wait for it to happen.

swan

New Floors This Week -- Before Photos

In January, we marked the 7 year point for owning our two condos.  We bought these places brand new, but they were each finished for someone else.  We managed to snatch them up when other deals had fallen through.  What that meant, in practical terms, was that we took them just as they were -- and some of the choices that had been made weren't what we would have preferred.  Seven years later, the cheap grade carpet and linoleum flooring are showing their age, and it is not pretty.  There are stains that will not come up from the carpets, and places where "he who shall remain nameless" tore the linoleum when moving appliances, and other spots where one or the other of the cats have shredded the carpet for reasons that only they understand...  All over our homes, there are signs of wear that have passed the point where we are able to clean enough to hide it anymore. 

We have wanted to replace all that worn carpeting and ugly vinyl flooring with hardwood or laminate floors -- for a very long time.  Next week, thanks to some money that has come to us from Master's father's estate, the work will begin to install new laminate floors.  We are excited about having this done -- even though it has meant that we've had to work like crazy people to get all the various breakables and what not moved out of the way.  Both of our garages are stacked with the odds and ends of our lives, and our homes look like a bomb went off.  We'll survive a week of chaos, and try to keep the kitty cats calmed down.  Hopefully by next weekend, we'll be able to start bringing things back inside and settle into enjoying our wonderful new floors. 

For now, here's the way life looks for us...

and in our garages ...

swan