Terrible weekend....

[Rockford35]

This weekend, which was a 4 day-er for me as a government employee started off great. Forecast called for +30 or better from Thursday to Monday. Excellent.

Friday was hot. Very hot. We decided to build a fence this weekend, as we don't have the time to do it later on this month. Picked up the wood and set into it about noon Friday. Thermometer read 108 in the shade out on the concrete between the garage and the house. Too hot. I'll do the rest Saturday.

Saturday was hotter. At 7 am, it was alreay 21 degrees. Just sick. Humid as hell too. I needed to get that deck done, so I set into it with my father and hammered it out. Oh right, maybe I should eat something during the day rather than just crush beer after beer. Hung over by 4 pm. Ridiculous. Had Thai for dinner, it saved the day.

Sunday was hot. Dad called and said his thermometer read 112 in the shade. Maybe I should think about watering my GF's flowers. Maybe after this beer...

My grandfather calls (he's 88) and says my grandmother (she's 85) has fallen in the bathroom and he can't get her up. He's an old guy and has no strength. I rush over to their place (it's about a 5 minute drive) and find her doubled over in obvious exhaustion. She's extremely dehydrated and malnourished. Alarms bells are ringing. Grandfather is upset that his boiled eggs are ruined in the kitchen. Grandmother barely recognizes me. I help her to her feet and help her to the bedroom, which is about 20 feet away total distance. This trip take us (mostly me) about 15 minutes, maybe more. In the meantime, grandfather goes to watch the news.

So basically, I'm left to call an ambulance for my grandmother, and explain to my father and uncles that my grandfather is completely out of it and has no business taking care of my elderly grandmother. How awesome is that. Had she not fallen in the bathroom, I doubt she would have made the night, it was that bad. I find out it's been 4 days since she's eaten and only had two small glasses of water and a glass of apple juice since Thursday.

Monday morning I head to the hospital. After a good nights sleep and an IV, she's in way better shape. I'd like to think it's because she was away from my grandfather for 12 hours, but that would be mean. I mean, the lights are on with the guy, but there's no one at home sometimes. Well, most of the time. It's too bad.

She's having a battery of tests, blood work, everything but the kitchen sink. CAT scan reveals several small strokes which limit her motor skills. So she's slow from here on in.

I hear tonight that they're keeping her overnight for more observation, that they aren't convinced she's recovered enough to go home. In the meantime, grandfather has watched the news twice, cut the grass and went to the veterens building to play crib BEFORE going to the hospital. Yep, and I have to deal with this.

About 4 o'clock, GF's mother phones me in a panick that Father in Law has broken down on the highway about 30 minutes from here and his cell is dead. I guess the truck overheated. I grab a tank of fuel, some coolant and 4L of water and head out in +35 degree weather. I find him on the side of the road, hundreds of feet from any shade, hotter than hell out there. We recharge the rad and get him back on the road. Another 45 minute drive in the hot sun and I'm back in town, only to realize that in all my chaos this weekend, i've forgotten some yard work (puppy proofing the backyard) that needs to get done. Oh, don't worry, it's still +33 at this point, in the shade.

I'm taking the evening off. F-everything tonight. It can wait. The GF is out at a friends, it's just me and the pooch.

...........

Great. Pissed on the floor. It just gets better and better.

R35

(PS....it was the dog that pissed on the floor, not me....oh, wait, cancel that.... )

[Kilted Arab]

Sorry to hear about a pretty awful few days for you, Rock. Hopefully getting it all out on this forum helped a bit.

The grandparent situation sounds an awful one to deal with and, whatever happens, I hope it's for the best of all involved.

Chin up, have another beer.

And give the puppy one. A beer, I mean, before you start unzipping Oh, what the hell...if it makes you feel better, go for it!


Take care.

[Silver]

It's one of those weekends where, if not for the heat, it'd be shitty, but not SUPER shitty.

Good luck man, just remember that it could be worse.

[IrishGolfer]

And here's me shooting an 86 and feeling sorry for myself.

Dude, these things happen; it's called life. Sorry that it's raining shit at the moment, but it will all work out. Keep the old pecker up (just an expression!).

[DaveE]

That's a tough weekend, sorry to hear it Rock.

We went through a similar situation with my dad towards the end. It's hard to watch someone you respect that much lose the ability to care for himself. Moving him to assisted living was one of the most difficult things I've ever done but it was the right thing to do.

I can't believe the heat you're having, that's about 10-12 degress F warmer than here. Crazy.

I know you've heard the saying, "this too shall pass", but it does.

Hang in there brotha and be nice to puppy, he doesn't know any better yet. That's assuming it really was the puppy of course.

[Rockford35]

Thanks guys. I wasn't so much looking for a hug or anything, it's just been a long weekend.

IG, KA, Silver, Dave, you guys are all right. This is life. It's not so much that I wasn't prepared for it, it's just the shits when it all hits the fan at once. Makes for a bigger cleanup.

Things are good today tho. I mean, I didn't get hit by a bus or smash my hand in the door on the way to work...


So I got that going for me....

Cheers guys, I appreciate the words.

R35

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

Things are good today tho. I mean, I didn't get hit by a bus or smash my hand in the door on the way to work...

So I got that going for me....

R35

Or you could be my neighbor who just had shoulder surgery and can't take a swing for 8 to 10 weeks.

The worst part is when he has to tell how he hurt himself. He was jumping off of his boat and at the last second decides he doesn't want to drift too far away and grabs the side rail on the down tearing a tendon in his shoulder. For some reason he forgot how far it was to the water I guess. He describes it correctly as an incredible brain fart.

[Farquod]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

So basically, I'm left to call an ambulance for my grandmother, and explain to my father and uncles that my grandfather is completely out of it and has no business taking care of my elderly grandmother. How awesome is that.

You're a better man than I, Rock.

You do realize beer dehydrates you???

[Rockford35]

Nah, it can't. It's mostly water, right?

After quite a handful, i'm pretty sure i didn't urinate once.

But to be sure, i'll check my shorts when I get home.

R35

[Bravo]

You know it is facinating to me how these kinds of shitty things so often happen in a very short, compressed timeframe.

Kind of like your own little Cosmic Hell Breaking Loose. All of your planets really out of alignment when its all happening at the same time.

Glad the weekend is over now for you. Go hit the crap out of the ball and try to stay cool..

I never knew you got the 100+F temps there either...