So now I'm thinking about my grandmother who is still alive, and I think her estate is split between her two sons, which would be kind of a bummer for me, as I'm pretty sure the nursing home/Medicaid would get all of anything my father inherits. I wonder if there's any way to figure that out without being a Terrible Relative?

I was flabbergasted to find out I had an inheritance from my decades-gone grandfather, who'd I'd never even met. I was sure it was a scam, until an actual check showed up.

It is sad, Drew, but it's not of your making, and kudos to you for walking away from it and embracing all the wonderful things you DO have in your life.

This needed to be repeated.

My mom and sister have hired a lawyer specializing in elder care, and one of the things they've done is to put Mom and Dad's house in sister's name.

They could only do it because she has lived there more than...I think a year, might be wrong about that.

This way, if/when we have to put Daddy into a facility, the house can't be used s an asset, and Mom will never have worry about losing the house.

Daddy's Alzheimers is progressing rapidly, and I am totally down with this move. The wills might need to be changed, too, as she was getting 60% of the estate, and 40% to me. But the parents have helped me out financially more than her, and she, living with the parents, has taken up more responsibility for home care for Dad.

I think this is very fair, given the particulars of our family situation.

I'm very thankful that mom and dad set up their estate, down to funeral planning, a couple of years ago. And that my sister and I are in total agreement about the allocation of things.

Timelies all!

Hugs and ~ma to all who need/want them.

I was *not* selected to be on a jury today, whew. Voir dire was the longest I have ever been through. We started as a group of 75 at 8:30, had a morning break, an hour lunch, and an afternoon break. Thirteen were selected, and the rest of us were dismissed at 3:45.

I'm very glad to have not been selected. The charges are seven counts of child neglect and abuse, one involving the death of a three-week-old. The prosecutor warned there would be extensive medical testimony, including pictures. Eeeegh.

One entertaining side note -- one of the jury pool was a guy in his twenties with a shaved head and extensive tattooing on his scalp and neck and beyond. From his left temple to above his left ear, he had in big bold letters "NOT GUILTY."

He's not on the jury, either.

I used to know a guy who was extensively tattooed all over, including his scalp; he had "FUCK DISCO" on the back of his head. It was always interesting to sit behind him at church.

Thankfully we've never had any inheritance shenanigans that I'm aware of in my family, but then again hardly anyone who's passed away has had much property to speak of, and the currently living ones who do are in good health and have kids who get along well.

I think my mom was a bit disappointed about a family heirloom ring going to an in-law rather than her, but the conversations where my great aunt promised it to her happened more than six decades ago and I think were long forgotten—or never known about in the first place—by everyone but her. (If I'd known the recipient I might have felt her out about an offer of fair market value for it, but that would be an extremely awkward conversation to have with someone you just met at a funeral.)

Ahhrg, pool closed, no swim. But I got some errands run.

I used to know a guy who was extensively tattooed all over, including his scalp; he had "FUCK DISCO" on the back of his head. It was always interesting to sit behind him at church.

Especially when the recessional music is "Stayin' Alive" during Lent.