merichsen

Stroke Survivor - female
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Blog Entries posted by merichsen

  1. merichsen
    Since Kathy was brave enough to share her eye browing, I thought I owed it since I thought of her all through this to share my recent toe disaster for a show of support in fellow Lucydom.
    Nope sorry Kath I'm not dingy enough to break out the hot wax but having been talked into shoes like a real girl. I agreed to live dangerously and go for them. Assuming I wouldn't be sporting them for a bit I thought I had time to primp my toes to be exposed.
    Well low and behold on the calendar there marked was my son's sports banquet tonight for which they would now need be worn. Something needed to be done and quick. A mere coat of polish just would never do. The hands and the feet always must match without exception so with a French manicure freshly done on the hands, there was nothing to do but match the feet. With my words to dear Kathy haunting me "don't do these things yourself " I began to paint little lines with a hand that never mattered. Your haircut or missing eyebrow has nothing on these feet babe, but at least they match, what...I don't really know. Part of the mess came from laughing as I was thinking about you Kath and how this was payback for my saying the I told ya not to it yourself comment. So Miss Kathy when we're bunking together as little old ladies, we may have found our calling and means of supporting ourselves by providing one handed salon service disasters.
    I think this is called cosmetic justice Kathy or cosmetic karma.

  2. merichsen
    I often think of how grateful I am for the moments in life that I've lived to see. Yesterday morning was one although it's a bit questionable. My son's track coach has the team wear a shirt and tie on the day of a meet. My son knows that since he has to be up and in the shower by 5:15 he needs to have what he needs set up the night before, but since he was on a baseball field until 10:45 the night before that didn't happen. Panic-stricken because he was going to miss the bus or be unprepared he wanted me to quickly iron him a shirt
  3. merichsen
    After over a year of a non functioning blog by some mysterious force my blog one day worked as though it was reawakened and came alive with spring. For all the times that I've wanted to write something and couldn't now that I can, I have nothing to share. However being pressured a bit and knowing better than to think that this sanguinary nagging will cease unless I do. I caved and here I am. So in my attempt to not continue to carry on in Seinfeld fashion and write a blog about nothing, I'll give an anecdote in the continuing saga of the growing pains of the Mangano boys.
     
    Marc who will be turning 17 in July apologized for reminding me that prior to my aneurysm when he was in 7th grade in anticipation of high school, I told him if he never got in trouble in h.s. and kept up his grades for his 17th birthday I'd buy him a car. As I mentioned he apologized because he said he knew even though I would no longer be able to keep up my end of the deal, he still kept up his by maintaining a 4.0 and never getting in trouble once.
     
    Michael(14) on the other hand was going with the there was any need to bring this up other than so we could listen to how great Marc is at mom's expense. You know she'll feel bad. He then proceeded to tell Marc exactly what he should do with his 4.0 and offered to help him with future issues you don't have to be a "moron" to figure out. What he should have done was what Michael did.
     
    Michael I came to find out went on line picked what car he set his sights on. He then proceeded to run 3miles to McDonald's, got a job application, and got himself a job. As I watched him iron his uniform on Thursday so he'd be sure he was pressed and perfect for orientation, I thought the one should really consider seriously taking him up on his offer. The kid has it all calculated so he knows exactly how much he'll have. He invited his little girlfriend over for dinner and told her you know you're out of the house and having dinner. Consider this out to dinner I don't want to be like that loser on 2 wheels forever. Marc worked for 3 summers at Six Flags, he spent it all because and I quote, "he's got no game so has to wine 'em and dine 'em."
     
    Another instance of something I'm grateful I lived to see. Had I not I would have with no inkling of what kind of people they would grow up to be. Whether or not they would have game was never a concern or even a thought, of course I wanted them to do well in school but that not my first priority. My first top priority has always been character development. Marc was always exceptionally bright and gifted so I talked to him a lot more assuming he'd get it that way. Mike on the other hand was always a piece of work-I'd had to literally sit on him to get him to stay in time out, I'd forget Marc was there. I never thought I stood half a chance of breaking through that strong willed little hard head so he'd hear anything I said. I just made sure I kept him in the lane constantly battling that will hoping someday he'd get it. The week before my stroke I spent swapping emails with his teacher trying to convince her that she couldn't keep letting him charm her into cutting him breaks.
     
    He'll sit and talk to me now and I can see he was taking it all in all along. I know he'd give his life for me in a second and that's a part of character you can't teach with words. It is far greater than I'd ever hoped to accomplish and am thankful every day that I lived to see the benefits of the battles.
     
    Started off as nothing to say
  4. merichsen
    THE OTHER NIGHT IN CHAT I MENTIONED THAT I HAD A FUNNY STORY
    ABOUT MY DOG AND A CALL TO POISON CONTROL, BUT IT WAS FAR TOO LONG TO SHARE IN CHAT SO I'LL SHARE IT HERE. THIS WAS ONE OF MY CLASSIC "LUCY" MOMENTS.
     
    I HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED AND WE BOUGHT AND MOVED IN TO OUR FIRST HOUSE. I SAW SOME ANTS IN THE BATHROOM SO NOT HAVING ANY CHILDREN, I THOUGHT IT WAS FINE TO BUY AND PLACE ANT TRAPS THERE. AS I WAS ABOUT TO GET IN THE SHOWER TO GO TO WORK ONE MORNING, I NOTICED THE TRAP WAS FLIPPED OVER AND THE DOG HAD A TINY DROP OF WHITE FROM THE TRAP ON HER NOSE. THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE BOX TO INDICATE WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS HARMFUL TO HER. I THOUGHT IT BEST I CALL POISON CONTROL TO CHECK RATHER THAN COME HOME FROM WORK AND FIND THE DOG DEAD.
     
    I'LL WRITE THE REST AS DIALOGUE TO MAKE IT A BIT EASIER TO FOLLOW. KEEP IN MIND THE OPERATOR THINKS I'M TALKING ABOUT A CHILD.
     
    ME: HELLO, MY DOG MAY HAVE JUST EATEN A SMALL BIT OF ANT POISON
    OP: WHAT HAVE YOU DONESOFAR?
    ME: JUST GAVE HER SOME MILK IN A BOWL. SHE LAPPED IT UP. SHE SEEMS OKAY.
    OP: HOW OLD IS SHE?
    ME: I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE. I THINK A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.
    OP: WHEN IS HER BIRTHDAY?
    ME: MMM SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY I THINK
    OP: HOW MUCH DOES SHE WEIGHT?
    ME: ABOUT 45 POUNDS
    BY NOW SHE HAS TO HAVE FAMILY SERVICES ON THE OTHER LINE!
    OP:WHAT IS SHE DOING NOW?
    ME: SHE JUST LAYING ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR BY MY FEET.
    WAIT I'LL NUDGE HER WITH MY FOOT. SHE JUMPED UP . SHE SEEMS FINE.
    OP: WHAT'S HER NAME?
    ME: BEN
    OP: EXCUSE ME?
    ME: BEN
    OP: CAN YOU SPELL THAT?
    ME: B E N J I
    OP: YOUR DAUGHTER'S NAME IS BENJI???
    ME: NOT DAUGHTER....DOG!!!
    OP: OMG I THOUGHT YOU SAID DAUGHTER YOUR DOG WILL BE FINE
     
    BEN MANAGED TO OUTLIVE MY FIRST MARRIAGE AND LIVE TO THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 17.
     

  5. merichsen
    So by yesterday evening after not having heard from Pepe LePew, I gave in and clung in desperation to the old apron strings in fear that he may have defected, joined the foreign legion, or run off aimlessly chasing a lovely feline with French parfum and a white stripe painted down her back. After having contacted the surprising teacher, I learned that Marc seems to be having a problem with his cell phone, which he has attempted to rectify but could not. So we will try to fix the problem from here or ship him a new one. The bright side is it prevented him from ringing up $2,500 in charges like he did on his last trip and he'll be sure to return ~ survival in life depends on that phone. And I thought being told at 10 pm on a work night that cupcakes were needed for the next day was bad.
  6. merichsen
    I'M HAVING A REALLY CRUMMY DAY SO RATHER THAN SIT AND THINK AND CRY UNTIL I'M ALL CRIED OUT AND STILL REALLY IN THE SAME SPOT. i THOUGHT I'D TRY WHAT I'D DO PRESTROKE. IT WORKED WITH TWO HANDS AT FULL SPEED, WHO KNOWS? IF NOTHING ELSE IT WILL ENABLE ME FOCUS ON WRITING IT FOR A WHILE WHICH IS A GOOD DIVERSION AND I GUESS SOMEWHAT THE POINT. WHEN I HAD KIDS I VOWED I WOULD NOT BE STIFLINGLY OVERPROTECTIVE AS MY MOTHER IS AND I WOULD TRY TO RAISE THEM TO BE STRONG INDEPENDENT ADULTS. WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER SHE HAD A HARD TIME COMPREHENDING HOW I COULD BE SO COLD AS TO LET GO WHEN I WAS TEACHING THEM TO RIDE THEIR BIKES BECAUSE THEY MIGHT FALL. HOW ELSE DO YOU LEARN? A BOO BOO ON A KNEE HEALS, LIVING LIFE IN FEAR RARELY DOES. I STRUGGLED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET BEYOND THE CONDITIONED APPREHENSIONS AND AS I SAID I SWORE I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO MY KIDS.
    SO LAST NIGHT AS I PUT MY 15 YEAR-OLD SON,MARC ON A PLANE TO FRANCE MAYBE I GET IT. MAYBE AS LONG AS I'M FEARFUL, I'LL LOOK TO HER FOR SECURITY. BUT I THINK I GOT IT AS HE LEFT AND I SAW NOT A MOMENT OF HESITATION. I KNEW IN 2 YEARS HE'LL JUST AS EASILY LEAVE FOR COLLEGE AND IN ALL HONESTY IT SCARED ME MORE THAN STARING DEATH IN THE FACE THAT MAYBE HE'LL NEVER LOOK BACK. FOR ALL THE YEARS I RESENTED HOW MY MOTHER TRIED TO CONTROL ME WITH GUILT, I UNDERSTOOD A BIT BETTER. YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST OF THE MAJOR APRON STRINGS I CUT, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE BOTH OF THEM AROUND AND NEVER HAVE THEM LEAVE, BUT THAT WOULD BE VERY SELFISH AND UNFAIR TO THEM. I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT SO I'LL CONTINUE TO CUT THE STRINGS AND HOPE THEY REMEMBER ME.