smonster, hope the new job goes/is going well!

Thanks, guys. Today I feel super pressed for time and it's going to be hard to drop everything and go. I don't even know if I have appropriate clothes clean, I better check on that now while I have time to wash some comfy loose pants.

So, here's something. My sisters were in town this weekend.

Some of you will note the plural.

My dad was married right out of, or possibly during, high school. Two daughters, a son, divorce, joined the Navy, met my mom, and so on.

I always knew, but for one reason or another (mostly my grandma being a stone bitch, but obviously my dad also fell down on the job) we never had any real contact. Or talked about it at all. The son, G, would pop up every now and again when I was young, but the last and maybe only time I met the daughters was at my granddad's funeral 36 years ago.

One of the daughters found my dad on FB a few years ago and friended me and my sister H - which was when I realized H had never even known any of this.

I was away this week so did not see them, but the two daughters V and J were in Chicago on vacation and reached out to my dad to see if they could get together. He had dinner with them one night, and then H joined them another night. And apparently it was good, and minimally awkward, and H reports back that their personalities and sibling dynamic between the two sisters and the brother is almost eerily similar to ours.

So anyway, I guess my family just got a little bigger.

Wow, brenda. That's cool, right? Could have gone so much worse, for sure. Strange the sibling dynamic is so similar. Or maybe not strange, I don't know. Interesting.

So much weirdness to all this. Like, my dad obviously was super shitty (he hasn't seen them in 36 years either) which was, I think, what his ex wanted, but still. But they've always had a relationship with our grandparents before they died, and with our aunt and uncle. It's like me we were in parallel dimensions or something.

It's good, and long past due. But very weird.

Whoa. Very weird, Brenda! Kind of cool in a way. But weird.

That does seem fraught with emotion and weirdness, Brenda. But potential to be very awesome!

I'm glad it sounds like a good relationship now, Brenda. But how weird. It must be especially strange for sis if she knew nothing.

Epic, I just saw your post in Beep Me. All the best infection-fighting~ma for your mom, and lots of caregiver-plus-everything-else-on-your-plate~ma for you. That stuff just is not easy.

Brenda, I don't even know what to say. That is some serious family weirdness. I hope the awkward peels away and reveals awesome.

Thanks, WS. I was honestly more aggravated at how he didn't think it was a big deal than I was about the late dinner.

"Oh crap, lemme get right on that!" is a very different response than "Oh look, I procrastinated long enough that you woke up and can take care of it for me."

Epic, tons of ~ma for your mother and for you as well.

Brenda, what a weird situation for both you and your sister. I hope you are able to get to know each other.

"Oh crap, lemme get right on that!" is a very different response than "Oh look, I procrastinated long enough that you woke up and can take care of it for me."

More like, "I lost track of time, but I assumed you were going to get up an take care of it anyway." Between that and lack of nap at in-laws, I don't want to feel like I'm the only one who can be on top of things with ltc. I think I'm going to type up a schedule for her with specific instructions like when she needs to nap what she eats at what meal and at what time etc, so there is no confusion.

IOmemeN,today is going okay. It's cold and rainy which is making my sinuses wonky, and ltc didn't get her best sleep last night, but she has had breakfast and a morning nap and she's been playing quietly in her new little playpen for a while. So, I've had both breakfast and lunch as well as a couple cuppas. TCG and I made a plan for dinner this week which seems doable, and I was able to reorganize and put away the DVDs last night. So, that is one more project done.

Lots of Ma~ma for your, Epic. I have been hanging at the hospital the last couple days with mine. I think all is being addressed, but being 94 is filled with complications.

Kinda skimmed because of being bedside, but a couple thoughts, Zen.

The body/mind dynamic is very complex. Good quality sleep is essential for wellness and do whatever you need to for that to happen. Also, diet is a biggee. An unknown number of days ago I switched to a schedule of eating every 2 hours. For me about 100 calories each mini meal works well. Today so far I had 7am yogurt, 9am almonds, 11am crab legs, 1pm mixed veggies, and have some fruit waiting for me at 3. (haven't planned the later meals yet). I try and mix it up but just eat what sounds good. Just a little bit each time.

Within 2 days I noticed that I had markedly more energy. Way more energy. It takes a bit of forethought, but I just have little baggies of nuts or cheese sticks or fruit around if I am in a hurry (often). It is like a miracle. And losing weight too.

I'm not saying this works for everyone, but something does, and if what you are doing isn't, then try something else. It may be sleep, or diet, or some other routine part of life that changing changes everything. (right now I think a more comfy chair would change my life, just sayin', hospital furniture not so great)