There's no place like home

Okay, I know it would be just wrong to complain about the winds we have been having.. Alabama would kick my ass.
However it has been more than breezy...


Hey... Stupid wind, quit killing my little lemons.

Other than being a citrus killer, the wind has been blowing a pipe that drains from the air conditioner on the Sutter Home roof. Making all sorts of ghost noises.
 So when Mom was over here, (Bella House.) Dad snuck up on the roof to secure it...
I caught him..



I'll give ya ten bucks to steal the ladder!




I'm telling Mom on you!

 I did tell on him...
He didn't fall off and the ladder stayed put.
 So it was off to the Doctors, again.

Getting awesome at the waiting room game. :(

On the way home the wanted to look at a hot tub someone is selling, but they forgot the directions.
They have a little GPS that they can't quite conquer.
They also have something better, cell phones!
No, their phones don't have GPS, they have my number on speed dial.. so I can look up directions for them.

Only 30 cents a minute.... and I can use it as my landline dials up on AOL!

Unfortunately when they gave me the street name they didnt have a street number.. and I sent them to Ollman elementry, no where near Ollman Street... Oops..

Getting ready for the heat.

The summers here in the desert are totally awesomely hot. I love it. Dry warming sunshine on my flesh is one of life's pleasures.


Sun glasses please. Perfect.

For normal people anything over 90 degrees is a little too hot. So Mom went and bought a ceiling fan for their bedroom, (Yes it was a bargain.) Thinking Mike could help install it when he comes out in May.
Dad had other ideas.  He started the project today. Considering the ceiling is sloped and has no light fixture already there, it's a bit more than just attaching the right wires.


Just plug in the extention cord and you don't have to crawl up the ladder to control it.. Genius!

Since it wasn't really working, and there was nothing on tv tonight, I got the brilliant idea to head over to the brrrrr cold of the air conditioned Casino. It was a very good idea! I won! Dad won! And Mom came out the biggest winner..

Yay!!!!!!



She must really love him.

We all joke about Mom loving a bargain. No one is safe from being gifted one of her found treasures. We love her for it.. we have even learned to enjoy the high of a great find... doesn't matter it we need the item or not.
A good deal is part of our DNA.


Sure they are ugly, but they were only $5.00

Yesterday she found a Secretary desk at the local Goodwill.. it was a nice rosewood. Only $24.99.. A great deal... Did she buy it?
No, no way, not when on Wednesdays seniors get half off all merchandise!!! Just hours away.
So The Teenagers woke early and were in the parking lot (with walker set), when the doors opened..
Uh oh... sometime between Tuesday afternoon and this morning, the desk was whisked away...



Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn

 Let's face it, she could walk into Ethan Allens and walk out with whatever she wanted.
But where is the fun in that????

But when it comes to Dad that is a different story.
One of his nurses mentioned something called Cell Food... The claim is it will help slow down the cancer. Boost his healthy cells.
Does it work? We can only hope.
It is expensive? Sure. 
They finally found a place locally that sold it and didn't blink.. it's worth a shot.

About a buck a drop.

We love teasing her about her frugal ways, but we love it and love telling her when we find our own treasures at a fantastic price.

Easily amused

It was a busy day for the Teenagers.. Blood tests first thing this morning. The one from a month ago wasn't good enough...


Think they just want more $$$

Off to Target, then to get a chest x-ray.


I think they need to update their equipment.

 They were actually very Quick at the Desert Radiology. I Didn't even get to finish my article on the recent death of Michael Jackson... Okay the magazines weren't all that old.



The Teenagers went to take back the new TV, the sound was really awful.
Just out of the driveway when the phone rings... it's the sales rep for 'Your final arrangements' who was supposed to call and confirm before she came over and gave the grim details of cremation costs.
She had forgotten and was 5 minutes out.
So they come back and listened to the worst sales pitch ever..
This woman couldn't sell free condoms to a prostitute. 
Some people shouldn't be in the sensitive business of dying.


This is a actual urn you can buy... or for $2,600 you can get one in your loved ones image.. (Wigs available for longer hair)

 Finally the TV gets exchanged and we still have time to go on a adventure...

Everyone knows that they are easy to amuse.
So for shits and giggles we decided to see how long it takes to use the new shuttle from summerlin to the airport, with downtown stops along the way..
It wasn't that bad..


Dad making a friend with the RTC guy, who really really takes his job too seriously.




They look innocent enough.... but..............




When the camera wasn't out they were playing party bus, pole dancer...



Reach out and touch someone

The Easter Bunny forgot the Teenagers..



But that is okay... because their kids did not.


Hello?

I think they like the Holidays mostly because they get to spend the day on the phone talking to their kids..


Every word is important.

 
Actually Dad was in NBA heaven watching the play-offs.



The game has changed over the years.


 Mom and I went to see what was open on this religious day.. Surprisingly a lot.


Huh?

Sadly the candy wasn't marked down yet..

Tomorrows goal... discount pastel chocolate!

Happy Easter!

I know that it is wrong... but it makes me laugh.


A man was blissfully driving along the highway when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place. Chocolate, too. The driver, being a sensitive man - as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road and got out to see what had become of the bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful bunny was dead. The driver felt guilty and began to cry.

A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained. "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed him. There may not be an Easter because of me. What should I do?"

The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk and pulled out a spray can.

She walked over to the limp, dead bunny and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the little furry animal. Miraculously the Easter Bunny came back to life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and chocolate, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped on down the road. Fifty yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved, and hopped on down the road another fifty yards, turned around, waved, hopped another fifty yards, turned around, and waved again!!!

The man was astonished. He said to the woman, "What in heaven's name is in your spray can?"

The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said, "Hair Spray: Restores life to dead hair. Adds permanent wave."

It's a better day

Dad was on the go all day..
Up early to go with Mom to her Doctors appointment..
Couple of hours hanging out there..


"We will be right with you." Hehehe




Who are you? My regular doctor is pink!

 A quick stop to visit the slot machines before heading home.
But only for a minute..
Dad was still feeling strong so we headed off to the library.


"I hope they have a copy of 'Fatal Attraction' in the video section"




'Water Ship Down' just another 500 pages to go.

 Still so much to do... like taking the long way to Costco..


Mmmmm Costco has the best samples..

Off to Target.. Diet Coke is on Sale.

Across the parking lot is Best Buy...
Best Buys  have TV's!!!
Mom wastes no time and buys a new television and router.. Dad is still hanging in there with us.

Need to watch more 'Storage Wars'.....

Dad has it all hooked up and ready to go... unfortunately the sound on the thing sucks and it will probably be making a trip back to Best Buy.

Hey, speaking of ... Where the hell is Dad????

It can't always be fun and games

When I started this blog, Dad was showing no physical signs of the cancer.
I hide behind humor, but the truth is, this f*ck*ng cancer just makes me sad. 



Makes everyone sad.

Reality has been showing its ugly truth.. The loathsome symptoms of pancreatic cancer are showing.
Lack of energy and nauseousness are becoming the norm.




What can we do?
 Just take it a day at a time.. Hope that the good ones don't disappear too quick.





The Teenagers keep fighting the good fight.

P.S. Don't panic... it's just one of those days...

Step right up folks and enjoy the show!

This morning I woke at 7:30, stumble down the stairs, intent on making my coffee. I need my coffee....


Great quantities of yummy coffee.

Halfway to the kitchen, my sleep groggy head registers, something ain't right.
The house sounds are all wrong.
Still on auto pilot I start making my coffee.. The water is slow out of the tap.. Hum.
I'm pretty sure that the cat isn't taking a shower, but it sounds like the water is running.




Bella's last bath wasn't fun and games.


 I look in the garage, water heater is fine, step outside the back.. evidence of sprinklers running, but nothing flowing..

Wait... !!! It sounds like a herd of elephants are relieving themselves out front.
I peek over the fence, by the front door there is a geyser.
A mini Bellagio fountain show.. the pigeons acting as the sound track.



I swear there were some tourists watching from the driveway.

 Right by the source of airborne water there is a tap.. I dive in and twist.. Nothing..

Soaked, I head back to the garage and shut off the sprinkler system...
Nope, we are still watering the neighborhood.

Knowing that sometime in the past year I should have bothered to learn the location of the main water shut off.. and fearing the water police... (Vegas frowns on driveway car washing.) 
I call and wake up Dad... Cause Dad always knows what to do.



Hey Lady! Water doesn't just grow in the desert ya know!

He comes over and analyzes the situation and then shuts off the water main... (It's out on the front walk.. who knew??) 
A trip to Lowe's and some plumbing knowledge, the water is back on and the geyser show has been permanently shut down.



Go see Old Faithful.. she is still on time.

 

Feeling Better.

The Teenagers had a good day. They both are feeling okay.

So think of this siblings.....
Mom isn't in pain.. Dad is doing alright.. There is no trip to plan, so...... Her attention and bored moments might be focused toward you!


You can't see me!

We might have a few safe days.. The big TV in the Sutter Home is dying a slow death.. and they are looking for a small Hot Tub. It takes a lot of time to find the perfect deal.
 


A little bigger than that please.




Casino Hopping

Back in February the Station casinos were giving away free Valentine candy!

Yesterday it was cute fuzzy bunnies!  Sure you need to get in the car.. drive to a couple of casinos to collect your dust collectors, but it's fun! And it's free!

This crowd started out with only two lonely bunnies.

Do I need a stuffed Easter Bunny? Am I the kind of gal that collects such things? No, not at all!
I just like to play 'Stuff on my cat.'  Now that is entertainment!



Seriously?




This is so humiliating.

 If the teenagers went and got theirs, she would have had four more on top of her.

Unfortunately Dad wasn't feeling that great yesterday.... or maybe he was just saying that, so he could stay home and watch a 'Storage Wars' marathon.

It is addictive.

Here is hoping he has a better day today...... I hate seeing him down.



                                                        

Sharing is fun... but not today.

A afternoon spent running around, and Dad playing Paul Bunyon with a ugly tree.

Bella Played the part of Babe.. size proportionate.

First Mom had a mini attack with her hernia pain.. (She goes into for surgery in two weeks)

She is getting the Easter Peeps special!

She started feeling better, so the teenagers came over for pasta. Then Dad started feeling nauseous after eating and they went home.


I know they like to share, but there is a limit ya know!






Take that cancer and hernia!



You try living without it

The internet has been down all day. How did we ever live without it?
Mom called the folks at Clear, a 100 minutes later she was connected to a operator. Some dude hanging out in India.


Try this .. no?  How about that?.. No? Take your computer into the bathroom and flush 3 times.... anything?

Mom handed me the phone when the guy started saying words like ethernet cable and router.  I hung up on him when he tried to get me to change all the settings on the computer.. after he asked me to log onto speednet.com...   "Hey guy, I cant sign on to the Internet! wtf???"

Then after a quick call to the Clear store, (where they don't deal with technical troubles,) they informed us that they were having problems from L.A. to Vegas.. Perhaps someone should have told those helpful folks in New Delhi.


Now we are back online, June doesn't need to place paper ads anymore.


Won't Dad get mad?