WOW my brain is fried!! So much to do in so little time and details and tasks and time!! So today Lynn and Morgan came over and Momma sat - we went to DMV and got my driving record. Over to the driving school/job recruiter and talked to her. Then the most stressful part of the day - to a 'Skilled' facility to look at it for a possible place for Momma. AH NO - can I just say at this point HELL NO. I'm sure for the folk that need the place - its the perfect place for them, and it was clean, and the folks nice, but NO... she is not THAT bad yet. So with Lynn helping me research/screen some numbers I finally talked to someone that didn't just refer me off to another number. It appears to be an actual agency that helps folks in our possition find places for folks in Momma's possition... and they cover/deal with 4 different counties! I told her we weren't choosy on the county - because we would not be available to visit that frequently anyway. Since at this time I was TOTALLY stressed and was nearing my last straw (and near to tears) I think she could hear that in my voice... a lady will be coming out tomorrow to 'assess' Momma and we will go from there.
Business wise - this is what the plan is right now - the company PJ's is staying in business!! We will stay 'on-line' and we will still have free local delivery (as well as shipping - LOL). It just won't be me making the delivery personally. This business owner will be a Bariatric Trucker - LOL!
That seems to be the direction life is taking Gary and I right now. This is 1) a dream we have had; that when we 'retire' in that mythical 'some day land'. We would be truck drivers and see the US of A... well it seems like SOME DAY is coming to pass. 2) a way to save the house/property. We weren't able to do it with Momma's income and my income alone and the job possibilites were not there in Sacramento for Gary. Also with caring for Momma it seriously restricted what jobs and when Gary could even consider. (I thank God that he placed me with whom I work right now... and that was 12+ years ago! She/and the family have been wonderful and they are one of the things I will truly miss. I will visit though and there is always FaceBook - LOL) 3) Lynn and Morgan's lease on their apt is up really soon - they were trying to figure out which way to go next because their apt complex is - lets just say, not the best and leave it at that... plus with 2 dogs, places are hard to find. I really think that this will work out all the way around. It might have a rocky start - where we figure out where/what/when/who and stuff - but I think it will work... So the eventual plan (and with that word God starts laughing) is... Gary and I will be OTR (over the road) long haul team drivers - Momma will be cared for in a facility that will offer her socialization that we could not do and 24/7 care - Lynn and Morgan will have a house (with a room set aside for Gary and I when we are in town) to live in and our home will be cared for and will remain within the Johnson family!! Win/Win/Win...
Boy when they said WLS was a journey - this is one road I didn't expect to go down!! Speaking of down, I broke the 160# mark (159.6)... not intentionally though. What with the stress, fever (which is getting better) and such - just haven't been 'hungry' - even at work which is really weird. I usually tried to shove food in my face even when I'm not hungry and I'm not... <start Twilight Zone music here>
So now you are all caught up in what has been spinning my mind - and it has helped just putting in type... so I'll type more later :)
OMG..... GOSH.....GEE WIZZZZ.....I think you are thinking of leaving us, if I read this blog right, and I'm sure I did.... Man, you guys are brave, but that is what it takes. What kind of trucking will you be doing? Hey, sounds like you have all the bases covered, but for us. I can't think of you not being with us........You are soooo right, we do have a wonderful work place. In all my MANY years of my career, I have never loved my job and the people I work with/for as much as I do here...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we will REALLY miss you...
I will be as close as this BLOG and FaceBook :) and I will need to see my boy - so I will visit. Its something we HAVE to do though... I wasn't sure what we were going to have to do - now I am.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is I wish you all the luck in the world, you deserve it. I'll pray for you guys as you go out into this cold, hard world. But, I have a cousin who, when her hubby retired from GM (in Mi., of course)they sold their house, bought a 5th wheel with a 35ft motorhome with 3 pull outs and hit the road. I just got a letter from her from the Gulf side of Tx, where they are camped for the winter. They are in their 12th yr and LOVE it. About 5 yrs ago they bought a smaller one because of the rising cost of gas. They use it some of the time, depending on where they are going. Some places they go won't take the larger motor home either. They even worked a few yrs in Disney World while they camped out in Fla. during the winter. They have traveled every state that they can drive to, and love every minute of it, esp Alaska. They bought a piece of land on a mountain in Co. where they built a barn to store what belongings they didn't sell when they sold their house in Mi. & to store which ever motorhome they aren't using. Now i would love that life but my hubby wouldn't at all, he likes his roots planted deep, but I did a lot of traveling before he n I married, as well as quite a bit while we have been married, so no prob for me to plant my deep roots now too.
ReplyDeleteAnyway,
i do wish you the best in all that you do.
Lori
Wow, what a great new endeavor! Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteIf you need help looking at places for Momma, let us know - we've been there and done that with Steve's folks (and actually doing it again to get them closer to us). They're currently in Casa De Santa Fe in Rocklin. A bit of a drive but it's a nice place and they have a memory care unit & lots of activities.
We're also going to look at a place tomorrow closer to us, it's near South Land Park. It's called The Water Leaf (www.thewaterleaf.com). SIL has already seen it and says it's nice and we're going to go there tomorrow to check it out. But they also have a memory care unit. It's assisted living, not full-on nursing home, and looks pretty nice. So many options out there though - it does make it hard to choose the best one for her.
Lynn went through a BUNCH of numbers and with that filter - I found an agency that is like a free service to help people like us to find a place for Momma - keeping her out of 'skilled nursing' until its needed. We are suppose to visit 3 places on Monday :)
ReplyDelete