I have failed at gift shopping so far this season. I've had multiple migraines and then the flu since ACC & Santaland opening but it still feels like failure.

I'm at a loss on ideas for my brother & SIL. And I need b'day and Christmas for my 20yr old nephew.

Do any Colorado folks know anything about this puzzle room in Ft Collins [link] ? My college BFF moved there over the summer and I'm considering a gift cert as a family gift.

I found a person for my mom's repair and am checking it out with my friend Katie, whose sister is married into a big wig family in the local area. So I think this will work out. If I am there, my mom won't believe the repairman (person), but if I can talk to them ahead of time, it would be good. Even if they just have to pretend to be a repair.

This is why I miss living rural, although I do have a little tiny neighborhood. With my Dunkin Donuts and the bodega.

Oh my lord. I thought the nearly-two-year-old hospital bill was bad, but I just got a bill in the mail from another doctor that includes charges from 2014!!!! WTF!?! Now I have to go through all my old checks and stuff and try and figure out if they've even billed me for this before (I don't think so) and call them and ask WTF.

Whew. Never mind. After frantically searching through old checks and mint entries, I looked at the bill again and realized although they listed stuff dating back to 2014, the actual pending charges are from this summer. Way more reasonable. Whew.

I've packed 3 boxes today and moved 5 out to the garage. Starting to really see a difference in the house.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go get Mac fully into Community College with a shot record and his high school transcript.

Oh that's good!

No movement on the birth certificate here -- the most promising pile where it might have landed is a bust.

Look at mac, doing the things!!

ummm - more me making him. nothing is instigated by him, yet?

Well, if he does it, that's a start, anyway.

It must be so hard with these adult kids. Aidan is still in high school, but SYlvia is two years out and dropped out of community college. She has a job cleaning if in a hospital which is regular, full time etc, but only because of another friend we know. And Maria worries about thing s like dinner, which I swear my mom stopped caring about at like 12. I just had to figure it out if I wasn't home at dinner time or didn't like what was made. But what do you do if they don't.

ummm - more me making him. nothing is instigated by him, yet?

I know how exhausting it is. You are doing an incredibly difficult and thankless job.

Sorry to say my eldest remains dysfunctional. If I don't go to his place (which I pay for) and wake him up and bring him here to work for me he will stay in bed all day. I make him shower. I make him eat. Basically at this point I just make him work for me without pay because I pay all his bills. I'll get another burst of energy and continue on my endless quest to find a way to fix him, but it is a full time job and I get tired.

Meanwhile his brother just bought another new car yesterday. He and his wife have 3 new cars and are working on starting a family. It is super hard not to compare, and I never do to them. The younger brother actually helps me take care of his brother. Gives him rides, and tries to engage him. Helps me find him when he disappears. If he isn't self reliant before I die I at least believe his brother will watch over him.

Blah. Monday. I had a super chill weekend. Reading. Watching iZombie and Parks and Rec. Back to the saltmines today.

DIL is joining me on a fitness quest. We designed "Holt Theory" based on Orange Theory but with our own plans. Bike 2 miles, do this set of weights, walk/jog 10 minutes, do that set of weights, trampoline 10 minutes, do a set of stretches. That sort of thing. We laid out several scenarios so it varies. Should be an hour long session. First try is tonight so we shall see how it goes! She has her fancy Apple Watch or whatever it is called to track her vitals. I could use my tracker from Orange Theory, but I am not interested in stats so much.