'Tis the Night of Christmas

It's Christmas evening. Like Moore's "EVE" poem; all is quiet through the house. Skip is abed along with the pup and cat. I have the TV on as I'm on call for the Hospital.
It's my last shift. I don't miss it. I guess I should, but that's the reality of it.
Maybe it really was time for a change. Or maybe that wasn't the Unit for me. I enjoyed the Unit at my prior hospital more, but the Staff at this one better.
You can't have it both ways I suppose.
Reality can just suck sometimes.
And my mood has been a bit sour.
My friend who had lung cancer passed this past Wednesday in the wee hours of the morning. He made it almost 30 minutes after the midnight hour.
Now the significance of that? The day prior had been his 56th birthday.
The old coot said he wouldn't die before his birthday and leave me older than him. A gentleman to the end and a man of honor. He just had that one major fault. He could not leave cigarettes alone.
On a happier note; eldest daughter got her CPA! She's worked so hard. I can't describe all she's done. The kid's got heart and moxie.
I wish I had half the "stuff" my girls have in and about them. They are two terrific young women.
And now Christmas is winding to a close.
So is the year, actually.
Where did the time go? Weren't we just ringing in'09 a few days ago?
I thought so. I remember being in Tallahassee with the Family.
Then the year just tumbled forward. Roughly, too.
I thought it started off well. The new job at the College, the Unit was challenging, and I was bumpimg along okay.
Then Uncle William passed and the LAG's - as I refer to them - got nasty about Estate stuff; well it got busy. Switching hospitals made it busier. Doing that while teaching and managing an Estate was probably not the smoothest move. I like to learn things the hard way. Then we piled the remodel of the house in on the list. Did I mention the contractor trouble? Thought not. Well, there was that too. Cost us. A lot. Time and about $2,000.00. OUCH!
Skip's paying for that one by the way. He insisted on THAT dude.
And just as we thought we had a handle on things and were catching our breath; the cancer hit. Worse for him, yes. But watching him; it tore you into pieces and ripped your soul.
And he did to himself. That is the hell of it.
Not easy to watch a loved one turn into a cachetic shadow. Morphine and its haze is indeed a blessing. And for him and his family and those of us who loved him too; Christmas Angels came early in the form of the Hospice personnel who c
ame and gave the tender care
all needed in those final days.
Ah, Christmas is coming to a close. The final minutes ticking a way. Time marching onward as it is want to do.
Time to count my blessings and close these musings in the quiet of this house.
OnceAgain

Back From the "Dead"

Two Months. It's been two frickin' months since I've posted. Is that not the pits?
I should be shot. But then I feel like I have been. It's been a long haul folks. And I'm pooped. Flat out TIRED. Exhausted. Sleepy. Uh....need I go on?
And the pity is; I've been writing my little fingers off. Truly. They've just been letters to other folks. Some good; some sharp; and some really to the point and kinda bad.
I think what I'm going to have to do is save a copy/paste of these little deals and then publish them so you folks will know - SHE's ALIVE!!!!
So on to the news.
The Estate is about tidied up for the year. I go tomorrow and roll the CD's over into the checking account and that's it until after January. Then we do taxes and I hope I'm done.
DONE.
Of course getting there was not without it's drama.
We sold the old homestead and that was traumatic for me. But the gentleman that bought it; is in love with the place and it'll not be torn down. Instead it will be refurbish and rebuilt and added onto for another generation to grow and love.
I can handle that. My heart is sore, but not broken.
Then I finally had everything ready to start cutting the checks. And of course the Boys were cooperative.
But the two who had howled and cried foul and kicked and screamed about the money and unfairness over waiting and sharing of and for funds; did they cooperate?
HELL NO! They were the last to send in numbers; info, etc.
Finally; I sent out emails that ask and stated if you want your money; you must do this by this or you will by George wait until after Christmas because I am taking a break from the two of you. Period.
They called in their info the next morning. And cost the Estate a bit more cash than was necessary so I could get everything out before Thanksgiving.
Creeps.
And during all this; I had a daughter and Grandest kids visit, worked my 2 jobs, got coins and Estate items appraised. I handled Buick issues and conferred with my Dad - my Stepmom is getting forgetful. I also made a RV jamboree with Skip for a long weekend. Went to classes to keep up my certificates and licenses for my jobs. Worked on the house and actually got a few projects finished. Last but not in the least; we had a friend be diagnosed with lung cancer and I spent a long evening with him while he told me things that I'm not sure I wanted to hear, but I listened. All the while thinking as I typed the long email letters to friends and family that I needed to get to my blog and blow off some steam.
The thing is, as I've said, some of my mailings were as long if not longer than my blogs. And as the Boys have noted - funny.
As a matter of fact; I've promised to keep writing and in touch because they enjoy them so much. So I could have done a cut and paste and posted to here. Or vice versa, I suppose.
Why didn't I?
I don't know. I meant too. I just never got around to it. I was always getting sidetracked. Or worn out or, or, or......
And I'm teaching 2 new subjects this quarter.
JUST when you get all your exams where ya want them... well, there ya are, they go and switch things on ya.
Oh, oh, oh. I may be down to one job in the coming year if everything works out. So all must have very good thoughts for me. But I may take on an additional class and a clinic. And if I do that; I'm going to the College full time.
It will certainly help with the neck issue. Since I got that little number started up; it's been making up for lost time with a vengeance. After every 12 hours on the floor; I spend 10 hours wanting to lay on my side and just huddle. Not a lot of fun. To be honest, it saps me. I may be to the point where I'm more effective in the classroom.
Good thing I love it there.
My Kids this quarter have again been a blast. I don't know how I get so darn lucky. But I look forward to going into work each Monday and Wednesday. I just hope it keeps on being that way. The only problem I had turn out to be because I was following the rules set out for us as Instructors. So when the President ask me to write down what happened and I did, he got 1st hand knowledge that I was doing what he told me to do.
Whew.
Especially since there were a few that weren't. Oh so glad that I wasn't one of them.
That little problem ate up a full week. Sweated it out, too. I can be, oh, so paranoid.
So that about raps this up. I'm back and I figure I can start doing the cut and paste bit to keep up.
Actually, I probably should go back into my sent files and look up and post a few things to prove I wasn't in a coma or something for the past 2 months.
I may. I may. We'll see.
In the meantime, I'm back alive and kicking.
OnceAgain