Whatever works..this time anout...Nancy & Normandie & a tale of two views!

Whatever works ..this time about nancy & normandie..a tale of two views!
I have mentioned previously that Nan fractured her leg in 2 places and is in a cast from knee to toes.  Since we live in a home that requires going up a flight of stairs to the living areas and Nan can not negotiate them.
So, we have spent the last 2 weeks in local motels.  The first motel was one that had been run down and then purchased by a man who totally revamped it.  He made it beautiful.  Probably, now, the loneliest little local town motel we have.  He has made each individual room a different theme.  The Christmas room, the African, the Key West, Honeymoon, Grandmother’s, Redneck, etc. And we were in the Contemporary.  It was really nice being there.
This was right up Nancy’s alley.  Cute, charming, picturesque,  all in all adorable.  I really liked it too.
We had to move the second week because he had a group of graduate students from Coventry England coming and they had reserved the entire motel.
Wade also owns this motel that we are currently in, called Wade’s Motor Inn.  Let’s just say that Wade’s Motor Inn is no Twin Palms that we had just come from.
Since Nan can not get around easily, I had to do the looking!  Let’s just say right now that what is acceptable for the goose is not always acceptable for the gander.  And when it comes to Nan and I are not on the same page, were not even in the same universe on this.
So, I pick out a room with twin beds.  Its definitely 50’s in style.  Even I noticed it was not just made to look like the 50’s, it was actually from the original 50’s.  It looked perfectly okay to me, taking into consideration that I wasn’t buying it as a home or moving in permanently and it was just for a week!  No, it wasn’t nearly as nice as where we had just left, but what the hell!
Now you know when you try to put your dog in the bathtub water and it sticks it’s  arms and paws out stiff and refuses to get in the water?  Well, I get Nan in the wheel chair up to the door of our new room, and her arms are outstretched and her hands are holding tight to the door frame  and I’m thinking she’s trying to steady herself!  Boy, was I wrong.!
Let me tell you how I see this situation.  This is a motel built in the 50’s.  And Wade has kept the original look.  The room has two double beds, and is tan, everything is tan, perfectly boring tan.  It has a desk, no chair, a small table with the microwave on top, a full apartment sized refrigerator (stainless steel).   It does NOT have a clothes closet, it is all tan, and nothing matches and no telephone what so ever.   The bathroom is a bathroom.
 There is a focal point, however. Across the back wall of the main room is a kitchen sink, complete with kitchen cabinets and no granite counters,  more like Formica.  It does have a new flat screen television complete with cable.
The place is clean.  Bathroom,  bedroom, kitchen sink all clean.  The bed linen clean.  Just not stylish.
Since I was not planning to move in permanently, I thought what the hell, it’s only for a week.
And as usual, as soon as we were in –
I began decorating.  First paint the walls a smashing color.  Get a pint of glossy green paint and paint the 2 pieces of furniture.  Move the microwave from the small table to the kitchen counter.  Take one bed out, turn the other one to the wall and make a day bed/couch out of it, with pillows.  New curtains and WA LA a studio apartment.
I have no feeling one way or the other for or against this place.  If I were on vacation somewhere I would have looked for a better more up to date, stylish motel.  But, this is convenient, it’s  close to our home, it’s  close to dialysis,  it’s got restaurants around, and it excepts the dogs.  What else do we need?  Except maybe a pool!
I brought my little DVD player, DVD’s, jewelry makings, my tablet to work on class things and blogs, and my little coffee maker (given to me by my friend, Mike, and travels great).  What the hell …it doesn’t take all that much to make me  a happy camper.  
Just how bad can a place be where you can do laundry, 2 big washes and 2 dryers for $1 each!
Now, let’s see how Nan was handling this situation.  She had her arms out with hands clutching the doorframe, not to steady herself, but because she didn’t want me to bring her inside what she lovingly later begins to refer to it as THE DUMP!.
I came to realize just how she felt only 2 days ago, when her daughter in law and grandchildren called to say they were coming over to bring homemade soup.  Nan got frantic!  “tell them not to come!”  she demanded.    I was confused, SHE ALWAYS WANTS TO SEE THE KIDS!.  Finally, after much probing on my part, she explained why she didn’t want them.  She said she didn’t want them to see her like this!
I thought she had flipped.  It’s only a broken leg I said, how upset do you think the kids are going to be about a broken leg?   “ It’s  not my leg!!  I don’t want them to see me in  place like this! “ I was stunned…are you crazy?  There’s nothing wrong with this place.  We’re not here on vacation, we’re here out of necessity.  “I don’t want them to think I live like this!”   Nancy is a nut job, there is no doubt about it and a snob to boot!  She finally let them come.  Besides I said it’s important for the kids to see how the other half lives…and right now, we were the “other half”…
Tonight she went into a rampage after her brother and sister in law texted that they wanted to come and take us to dinner.  “I don’t want them to see me in a place like this.  I can believe I’ve succumbed to this.  Nothing matches! The curtains don’t match the bedspreads, there’s a kitchen sink in the middle of the room!!” She was at it yet again!
 She goes on… “The furniture is mismatched.  The kitchen sink is in the room!  The night table has a handle missing on the draw! The bathroom has a broken towel rack!  The two pictures are Monet’s, are they kidding!
I can't believe I’m here!   The only thing to make this better is to throw a match in here and start over!  Martha  (Steward) wouldn’t come near here!  I’m in jail here, I have no way to get out!”
By now, I’m laughing so hard I can’t breathe.  This woman has totally lost it, she’s a certified nut job!  Reality…we’re in this room for a lousy week, what’s the difference?
However, the dogs love being here, we’re all in one room.  They  go from bed to bed!  
Now in this place my little JoJo has taken control of security.  She initiates the barking at outside noises, she runs to the door.  She is in control here!
Luna, on the other hand, as Nancy says, couldn’t care less.  At the house, she’s on watch all the time.  She runs downstairs checking, barking, making sure all is okay.  Here she doesn’t even get off the bed.  As Nan says:  Luna is letting Jo take the lead here she thinks if Jo is crazy enough to want to save this dump, she can go to it!
What can I say,  Jo and I just go with the flow.  We make the best out what we have and what’s available.  And if we had to live here, what the hell, a little paint, a little furniture rearranging,  new drapes a touch up here and there, AND WE'VE MADE A HOME!
Nancy on the other hand, is in a “dump” as she so fondly calls it, in jail, stuck in a hole she can’t get out of.  She doesn’t care to stay here even for free, which it is not!  Normally, she’s redecorating everywhere, but the only way she says to redecorate this place is to throw in a  match, collect the insudance and then forget the nightmare!
In all honesty, we usually stay in timeshares when we are on vacation.  Timeshares are like full condo apartments with beautiful décor and all amenities.   This place, I will admit is lacking in some aspects compared to timeshares.  But, what the hell…
                   And surprise, surprise.. this doesn’t have a pool…  Nan said at least if it had a pool she could jump in with her  broken leg and drown.
I have to admit, that this situation does make me laugh out loud when I think about it.  In some ways (not all) Nan is such a snob and I just have laugh when I think how miserable this is making her…
 I just read this to Nan and her only comment was “where’s the match”.  She just said “it’s  amazing we know each other 64 years and we still have absolutely nothing in common!”  boy, is she right!!
Whatever works…. Normandie

Epilogue :  soon after moving in, I mentioned the obvious flaws in the what I thought was the already finished redecoration of the rooms after Wade bought the place, to Sam his brother who runs it.  If this was the redecorating effort, I mentioned, it wasn’t working…
Sam explained that this had been a long term residence for some homeless people who were put here by local agencies.  A few years before Wade purchased the property a woman and her son had been found living in the local wooded area and had been placed in this motel in our room.  They had been here for several years and Wade kept them after he took possession.
They found a job for the son at Public’s and after the years went by were able to save enough money for a down payment on a house of their own.
They had only recently moved out.  That’s why this room hadn’t been redecorated yet.
Since they moved, business has been good and he has been renting the room regularly.   This month things should slow down and they plan to get in and make the changes.
I actually wrote this several weeks ago….since then we have moved back to the original of Wade’s motels and have been in the AFRICAN ROOM for the last 3 weeks.
Nan is now happy, I’m happy, all is right (motel-wise anyway )  with the world!
After 5 weeks, Nan has a walking cast on and we are headed home to a condo with no ceiling in the foyer and part of the garage and no word at all yet from the insurance adjuster who was there about 2 weeks ago..

THIS YEAR, SO FAR, IT’S BEEN ONE CATASTROPHE AFTER ANOTHER,!!
WELL,  WHATEVER WORKS…normandie.
A closing line from Jimmy  (buffett)  “if the hurricane doesn’t kill you…it will surely make you strong..”  is he kidding?
One more addition to the other additions… I am always threatening to kill Nancy one day, AND ALL HER FAMILY, ALL OUR FRIENDS AND EVEN ACQUAINTANCES TELL ME I WON’T SPEND 10 MINUTES IN JAIL, BECAUSE THEY WILL ALL RALLY AROUND ME… AND TELL EVERYONE IT ABSOLUTELY WAS JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE!  And boy, would they be right!

Whatever works..this time about..Nancy..and "I would do it myself....BUT!

            Whatever works..this time about..Nancy & I would do it myself BUT! …..

1. Could I have a drink?  I would get it myself, BUT….
2. I would walk the dogs, BUT…
3. I need my clothes.   I would get them myself, BUT..
4.  Could I have a blanket?. I would get it myself,  BUT..
5. Could you crème my back?  I can’t do it myself. .I would, BUT..
6. .  Could you get my red pillow out of the car?.. I would get it myself, …BUT..
7. I have to potty could you get my wheelchair?. .. I would walk there myself,     BUT...
8. Could I have the TV clicker?.. I would get it myself, BUT..
9. I need a blanket!    I would get it myself, BUT...
10. I would feed the dogs myself, BUT..
11. I would help you with the laundry.  BUT...
12. I need my make up!  I would get it myself..BUT..
13. Could you get my comb?   I would get it myself, BUT..
14. I need to get washed, can you get me a wash cloth?  I would get it myself, BUT..
15. Could you scratch my toe?  I would do it myself, BUT...
16. I need some fruit, could you go to the store and get some?  I would go myself, BUT…
17. Whereas my glasses? I would get them myself. BUT…

this is a photo of nan’s leg and the reason for “she would do it BUT….

                 Then she has enough nerve to say…she would do it for ME!
                                         WHO IS SHE TRYING TO KID?

AND the topper..be careful.. SHE SAYS..I’m in the wheelchair..

This coming from the same woman who while pushing ME in a wheelchair in Disney world,  let the chair go down a slope and I went crashing into a curb!! This incident happened several years ago and I was not hurt.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PUCTURE?!!!

                                 Or better yet…what’s wrong with me?
Whateverworks.. normandie

Whateverworks. ..this time about..Normandie & " just live with it"!

Whatever Works ... This time about Normandie and “JUST LIVE WITH IT”

It has recently occurred to me that more and more I have been hearing from doctors and friends alike, “JUST LIVE WITH IT.”  That may be fine and dandy and easy for them to say, but I’m the one who is actually doing the living with it!
I have been thinking back, and I realized that I started to hear those words rather frequently when I was about 69.  
When I was 68 or 69, I began having trouble with my legs.  I felt a little numbness in my both my thighs when I stood or walked too much.  Then as time went by, it got worse and happened more often.  Numbness, then pain.  Real, honest-to-goodness pain. 
I went to Dr. Flaherty and he took x-rays.  Turns out I have two discs in my spine that have dissolved, or compressed or something.  Pressure on the area causes the numbness, then the pain.  Medical opinion on how to stop it:  simple, sit down until it goes away.   Reason:  an operation on my spine would be too dangerous.  Or, in other words --- just live with it!
Sometime later, I had a problem with numbness in my right hand once in a while.  More x-rays.  Now I learned a disc is missing in my neck causing occasional numbness.  Medical decision:  absolutely no operation on my neck, unless absolutely necessary.  And this was not absolutely necessary.  Results:  deal with occasional numbness.  In other words, just live with it!
After turning 70, I noticed a large bulge in my stomach, so back to the doctor.  Turns out it’s a hernia.  Protruding, yes.  Medical problem, no.
In other words, unless it ruptures (here we go again), just live with it!
The numbness in my legs started to get more frequent.  No change in medical diagnosis.  You got it, just….
The numbness in my fingers moved up to my arms, too. Tough!  Just live w…..
I turned 71 and developed heart problems.  No one suggested I live with it – they fixed it by putting in a stent.  But, while in the hospital, I had a serious dizzy spell!  The doctor asked lots of questions.  Diagnosis:  old age vertigo.  Anyway, can it be fixed — no.  You got it, one more time, “just…l…w…i..!”
This month, my crown fell out of the front of my mouth:  a gaping hole where my front tooth should be.  Diagnosis:  can’t have it fixed until September.  Why?  Because I’m on Plavix (blood thinner) until then because of the stent!  Results:  at this point I don’t even have to say it, do I?
I also have angina off and on.  Is it a problem all the time?  No.  Result:  why shouldn’t you hear it as much as I do, “JUST LIVE WITH IT!”
For 30 years, I have had constant diarrhea.  Cause?  Who really knows!  All medical people think it’s because ALL the meds I take say “possible diarrhea” as a side effect. Result:  too bad, “live with it” and run to the bathroom whenever necessary, and always carry an extra pair of underwear!  
And, how could I forget the dreaded restless leg syndrome!  For about two to three months, I had constant restless leg syndrome.  Every night I walked and walked the floor.  It felt like worms were crawling up and down the veins in my legs.  They just wouldn’t stop the movement and I couldn’t do anything except walk.  
Dr. Flaherty said I could take yet another pill that might relieve it, or, what can I say --- just live with it, it might stop at some point.
About two weeks ago, I started to feel a little “tickle” feeling on the back of my neck around the area where the label on your shirt would be.  It’s a small tickle feeling in a small area.  Annoying, yes, a very, very annoying feeling –yes!.  I keep asking Nan if something is walking on me.  There is nothing there.  Am I going to the doctor?  NO! Am I going to ask anyone to see if something is there again?--  NO!  --- I am, however, going to take it on my own to just “live with it!!

So, let’s re-cap:  
1. Numbness in both thighs:  live with it!
2. Numbness in arm and fingers:  live with it!
3. Protruding stomach:  live with it!
4. Hernias in stomach:  live with them!
5. Angina, too bad:  live with it!
6. Toothless, big deal: live with it!
7. 30 years of constant diarrhea, that’s too bad.  Diarrhea, find a bathroom:  live with it.
8. Restless leg syndrome, I chose “just to live with it” since I refused to add yet another pill that might or might not work to the 12 I was already taking.
9. Tickle in my neck:  that’s life -- live with it!

I have come to the conclusion that I have more things that I have to “JUST LIVE WITH” than I have actual medical problems!

I have diabetes, heart trouble, and high blood pressure, all of which are being taken care of with meds.

But when you come right down to it, it’s all things that I

     “JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH!!”

I hope I live long enough to just do that!!!
What the hell … whatever works … Normandie