31.12.11

Hey...

Happy New Year, everyone!

2.10.11

Back home

Well, Dave gave it a good shot, but he just wasn't able to function on his own. He needed move suppervision and I think he got lonely, so he asked to come back home. He got 3 months to test it out and did okay/not okay. He is gullible, he picks bad peope for friends, His credit card ( which he took without permission) was run up to almost 1200.00, his cable bill was 130.00 due to a guy buying porn, which he has no idea how to do, same as people going to the library and buying things he has no use for and didn't even know what it was used for ( a capo). A lot of the charges were his but not all, cab rides ( he has 150.00 a month free cab rides) He decided trhat he didn't like working late at night after some guys called him a "retard". So now he is back into the system, trying to go to work for a different place doing yardwork. They also have group homes, which he will hopefully get into, as he has lived in that situation before and done well...not so much mom and dad and enough supervision to stay out of trouble. It was a very nice break for us even though he spent most of his week here "visiting us".

28.6.11

The New Apartment Dweller

My baby has finally flown the coop, a major fete for him. We moved him into his own apartment on Sunday.  He is completely ecstatic. Now all he needs is to start working. He is going to work for a man that has jobs  all over town,mostly janitorial, which David has done before. He has contracts with the hospital, the Court, the library and also has contracts for cleaning apartments when people move out. He pays minimum wage, which most companies who hire the mentally disabled don't do. They do get a break from the government, at least that is how it worked when we  lived in California.
So David moved out on Sunday, then he invited us over for dinner on Monday night, he cooked us hamburgers and veggies. ( OK, so I did the veggies) it was tasty. This morning he got fancy and made himself home fried potatoes with bell peppers, onions and eggs with Italian seasoning. That was really good! He can cook a few things  and he will learn others as he goes along. Today I taught him how to make hard boiled eggs because he wanted them to put in tuna salad.
He had been on a list to move into a made over old hotel that has studio apartments that was about 2 miles from us, we all liked that idea because it is a secure building. Unfortunately, there is a very long waiting list so we looked around and found him a one bedroom ( better than anything I ever had starting out) The rent is affordable for him and he got cable t.v. hooked up yesterday, which was why we were there, so we could write the check.  last night I got a collect call from him because he said his cell phone wouldn't work, he kept saying it wouldn't charge. I had to take his dad to the oral surgeon this morning ,and David had an appointment with his state worker this afternoon so I parked at the dentist , left hunnyboy meting in the chair , he said the drug he took before he went in was about the equivalent of 4-5 scotches. Then I walked the block to the apartment and took looked at his phone, the screen was on but it said emergency calls only. What had happened was that he got a screen freeze and took the battery out and put it back in, but the sim card fell out and he put it back in backwards so the phone thought there wasn't one and so it would only allow  911 calls.He is also excited about getting a job soon... he hasn't worked since we moved and that has been 6 1/2 years ago. That is our fault because we live out of town and there is no bus service out here, but now if I have to, I will take him to work and pick him up, just so he can do it. The state is giving him $150.00 a month in cab fees, so he will have that option and he will be getting 20 hours a month of one on one  service thru another agency...they will take him shopping or to appointments if we arn not available, or just out for the day for a hike, go to the mall, etc.There is also limited in town bus lines which are cheap enough, and he used to ride the bus all over Southern Calif. so I know that is doable. Since he can't afford internet service and because he is afraid someone will break in and steal his laptop he has decided to leave it here with us and use it when he comes over. Since he is within walking distance of the library I will take him there and show him how to use their computers. That's all for now. I am sure exciting days are ahead, and I hope , rewarding for him.

15.4.11

Holding our collective breaths

Finally, our youngest son has been accepted into a program that will help him live a more independant life.He is now on a waiting list for his own little studio apartment. It is in a converted hotel and is a secure building. It is about 2 miles from where we live, and 1/2 mile to the mall, and grocery store.He will get bus passes and taxi vouchers, so he will have transportation, and since I don't work I am also available to take him places. He will also have a P.A., sort of an aid to help him do things, shop, cook, whatever he needs.This will be very interesting, D will be 40 on his birthday and has never been  able to live on his own before, not so sure that he will be abe to handle it, but he certainly deserves the chance to see if he is capible of it.. He has many meetings schedualed so that his case worker can get to know him well, and what level of help he will need, they will also help get him a job, so even if he doesn't move out right away he can at least get out of the house for part of the day. That is the ony problem with living in the boonies, nothing to do,nowhere to go, and no way to get there except for us. It is not an area condusive to him riding his bike, the roads are narrow and there are no bike paths it is also very hilly.
Anyway, we are all waiting with our fingers crossed, but with the budget problems in this country right now, we expect to have a  several month wait before he can move. At least we are in the system now!

11.3.11

Tsunami Alert

We have been under a tsunami alert since 3 a.m., no damage so far and probably won't be, but they have blocked all the roads with beach access, which kinda chaps my hide, because the one I wanted to go to has cliffs that are very far above the ocean, more than 50 feet at least. But since the waves won't be big enough, I guess that the photo op just isn't there. A friend of mine was called and told to stay home from work. Where she works is right on the water, it is a ship building/refitting business. She is hoping it's stil there tomorrow. Ah, life in the great north west!

6.2.11

Cats

I wonder why cats choose the places they like to sleep.This cat , Fuzzball, loves to sleep in the washing machine. I wonder if they just feel more secure that way, since they have something against their back, or if it just a leftover from kittenhood when they all slept together in a big furry pile?
This guy and the alpha male , love to sleep in our bed with us, but this one will go out about midnight and come back in in the morning around 6:30, he is one of 2 that really want to spend most of the time outside, the other 2 have decided that they are really house cats and go out, but come back in in a few minutes.   Every night,  or very early morning, the alpha male gets on my nightstand and starts pushing things off to the floor, then he starts playing with the lamp cord, and the controls to my electric blanket.  He used to play with the pull on chains to my lamp and turn it on in the middle of the night. He can't do it now because I have wrapped them around the  globes so he can't reach them . If I ignore him, he will start clawing on my sheets, anything he can do to make noise so I will get up and feed him, this is fine anytime after 5:30 a.m. but not appreciated at say, 3:30 a.m. Everyone says that is odd because they are both feral cats. I dunno, cats just always find me. We are down to 4 1/2 cats now. I say 1/2 because one comes around for a bite to eat, and craves massive amounts of pets. He belongs to the people next door, but I think he is lonely because he had a dog to play with his entire life, until a few months ago when they had him put down. All I know is that cat is craving attention and affection, good thing he gets along with all my cats!











24.1.11

oh well

forget the previous post, he has now decided that Las Vegas would be better. I told him I don't really care where we go because he is my home.

One dry day...we head north


Sunday was actually a very nice day, it was a little overcast and a bit foggy in the morning, but the sky was dry .We drove north to a little beach town called Yachats( yaa hotz) it is very small and the beaches are beautiful. However lately we have been talking about moving to Belize. Of course we would need to vacation there several times, in different areas and different seasons. Belize is a tiny country at the south eastern end of Mexico, next to Guatamala and north of Honduras. It was part of the British commonwealth and the official language is English, law is based on English law, so it wouldn't be such a huge transition as it would be moving to Costa Rica which was another place we thought of. Moving  there you fill out a form to move there as a retired person and you don't pay taxes , not even to import your things from the U.S. The rate of exchange is currently 2;1, so our money would go twice as far. It is also pretty close to the States, a couple of hours by air. I am having a great time researching this. If we move, I will demand a guest room so people can come and visit. We are pretty friendly, even if I am very shy, once I know you I get over it. I have had people from a chat room  come and stay with us before, and it worked out well. Just think, you could get free digs for vacation in a tropical paradise! I am not sure how far above the equator it is, I will put that in after I look it up.




looking at Yachats

driving back south

looking north to town


17.1.11

Damn you rainy weather!

I realise that rain is not neary as terrible as floods, hurricanes,blizzards,mudslides, earthquakes or tsunamis, but it certainly can ruin a day you are going out to shoot some scenery. Saturday morning we drove from our house all the way down to California, it rained every inch of the way, I took a grand total of 2 pictures, well the same picture twice, once in color and once in black and white . It makes me feel just like this:
click on picture to see  all of it.

2.1.11

some pictures

these are elks at the local elk preserve...I have only met the kind of elks that drink a lot before this.
 
                           
it is kinda cool to live in the forest, when you are only 5 or so minutes from the ocean.
just to prove that every once in a while we have actual blue in the sky!
this river was running really fast( it was very noisy,too)