Duo, Selphie and I felt the urge to get out of the house today and went for a fun afternoon for some indoor, cosmic-like miniture golf.  The travel both there and back was crazy.  Detour in both directions due to streets needing sand bags for the ever rising river.  Even yesterday when I was at my mom’s house to clear out the garage, I had to leave my shoes there to dry.  It was like we never got rid of that pool in the back yard.  Except, in a pool there’s a solid ground to place your feet, not soggy ground to loose your shoe in!  Needless to say, I refused to come back over today to take out her garbage. (She has a hard time with stairs)  I’m hoping that tomorrow is a better, drier day so I can go back to help.  The house goes on the market as of tomorrow, Monday.  It’s just a waiting game now to find the right buyer.  Hopefully luck will be on our side and the house will sell quick.  After the past 5 years, especially, my mom can definitely use a break.

My mother’s house is coming along.  It will officially be up on the market this weekend!!  It’s been pretty stressful on all of us.  But my mom has found a job in the suburbs and we’re hoping the house sells fast so she can get an apartment close to work.  She’s got some issues driving at night, so she’s looking at a couple apartments down the street from work.  So much weight will be lifted when this house sells, it’s not even funny.  If anyone’s interested in buying a house in Chicago with easy access to three bus routes, two expressways, a publice grade school and high school and/or a catholic grade school and church….drop me a note! =)

Back on track now. So we’ve been trying to get crap out of the house, donating some along the way. Even Duo has been there for us and lent a helping hand with things as he’s been able. It’s definitely NOT a one person project and it’s far from being complete! So much for our completion date…you don’t even want to know what it was. Seriously.

So this move is stressing my mother and me out, as well as her search for a new career. AND, we just went over to Pennsylvania this past weekend for one of my sister’s last minute wedding. This was a drama packed weekend as my mom ended up falling down a flight of 16 stairs in my sister’s old Victorian house and going to the ER. We were all surprised that she walked away with just the bruising, busted lip and dislocated shoulder. She made it to the wedding the next day though. I could get into the annoyance factor of the trip….but that’s a rant that could go on and on and on. Let’s just say I had to snap just a little bit at the bride and groom….but wanted to do much more than that. It’s amazing to me that they think they have the right to judge my life and what I choose then to take a look at theirs. Marriage should be based on love and respect before convenience!

Let’s hope this weekend is less drama. Got a baby shower to throw on Sunday for another sister. But given which sister it is….I may need a straight jacket by Sunday night!

What can I say, it’s nice to imagine these kind of things.  I’m not saying that I’m a crazy driver or anything.  I think I’m a pretty good driver, but even the best drivers have difficult moments at the wheel.  With this in mind, I’ve been more cautious with snow and ice lately, especially when it comes to my mom.  She doesn’t need any more struggles than she already has.  These days, I find myself watching the weather predictions and actually taking time out of my travels for safety.  Last year around this time, my mind set was “it’s just another winter in Chicago…I can tackle it!”  But since then, my spin-out last February in a Michigan blizzard doing 15-20 mph on the expressway really put things into perspective like a slap in the face.  It doesn’t matter how cautious you’re trying to be…if you test mother nature, prepare yourself for the worst!  I always think of that man that showed up out of nowhere with a shovel in his back seat that dug my car out from the side of the road.  What’s the chances of getting stuck in a blizzard with the only driver around us being a man that plows streets for a living!  How crazy is that?!

Unfortunately, a walk on the beach was not an option yesterday.  Reality set in and I realized that the production classes that I was enrolled in would not be feasible at this time.  I’ve been stressing out with starting classes this month and not being able to work through my family and financial obligations in time.  Asking for a second extension or a drop from the admission process did not go so well with the admissions director.  I had to hold back from writing this blog yesterday.  I was so frustrated that it would’ve just been a ramble of fury without making any sense.  It was not planned for my grandmother to pass away when she did….It was not planned for my mother’s health to go so crazy that she can’t make the hour and a half drive home from work in the dark….and it was not planned that I could not get a loan to cover the tuition….but it all happened anyways.  And yes, I do choose my family over my “dream career”.  Contrary to his beliefs, I am determined to follow through with this education.  However, it will not be at his center.  There are other options out there that I can turn to once my mother and I move.  This guy has no power over me or my career plans.  I can choose my own path and I’m prepared to deal with the outcome.  So what if it takes a little longer to reach the goal, as long as the goal is reached.

So, last I wrote, I had my coworker’s wedding to attend. That went well. Duo accompanied me and we had a great time. Stayed out by O’hare. Those Hilton’s need to speed up their elevators! Seriously, they were reeeeally slow.

Aside from that, I’ve been spending more time with Duo. Spending as much time as I can with him. Kinda just been there for support with everyone too after his mother passed away. I’m glad I got the chance to meet her..to laugh with her. I could only imagine how hard it was for everyone. But, they have been strong and have been very supportive of each other. What more can you do.

As for things in my neck of the woods, I’ve been carpooling with my mom since she now works in the same office as me, and we’ve been driving every week to the nursing home to see my grandmother. She’s not doing so hot right now. They just made the decision today to stop feeding her, as she can no longer swallow food. They are just keeping her comfortable and pushing the fluids, giving her ice chips and such, and lots of morphine. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be much longer. The last time she was actually responsive was when my cousin came up with her newborn daughter Zoe. So, at least my grandma was able to see her before she zoned out for good! I just hope she goes peacefully. That’s all I could do. Hope.

So, with this, my mother and I will be going to visit her on Friday.  Make sure everything is ok.  Let her vent, if she’s up for it.  It all depends on her pain levels that day.  Some days she is clear as a bell….other days, she’s just not all there.  Hopefully Friday will be a good day for her.  That would kick my weekend off on a good note!

I got my coworkers wedding to go to on Saturday in the city.  Dragging Duo along!! hehe….No, not literally….he’s coming along willingly, and we’re gonna have loads of fun!  I think with all the stress going on around us, we both need a good, low stress weekend.  Maybe even go get me a kite this weekend….that sounds pretty fun!  Things still up in the air a bit.  Seeing where the days take us at the moment, which is fine by me.  Possibly do some downtown walkin…outlook good!  We’ll see when it gets here.  But all in all, it should be a pretty fun & relaxing weekend.  Can’t wait!

Yeah, me too.  It’s actually happened a few times lately…and, quite frankly, it’s really getting annoying!

Hrmm….well, excitement grows as I have just yesterday paid my enrollment fee to attend broadcasting classes!  10 months of crazy days await me once I start the program at the end of next month.  But I’ve been wanting to get into broadcasting/production for a while now…I just didn’t know where to begin until the opportunity presented itself. So, this next month and a half, I’ll be doing as I please, spending as much time with my boyfriend as we could squeeze in, and with my friends too!  It’s a little wierd to be heading back to a school-like setting, but I’m excited and can’t wait to see where it leads me!  Wish me luck! =)