Snapshot
Well, here's what's going on at the moment:
GRANDPARENT HELL
Bad news about Nanny. Fran called me and said that she is not eating, very agitated and upset in general. She won't allow Fran to do any vacuuming, laundry, or change the sheets on the bed, but she refuses to do any of it herself either. She refuses to pay Fran. She refuses to go anywhere, even to the bank to deposit checks.
My grandfather finally passed away on Dec. 2nd. The cremains STILL haven't arrived at Nanny's house. I guess that's what you get with discount prepaid cremations. Nanny doesn't want any kind of memorial service, which I understand. She says just wait until they're both gone and then hold a joint service, it won't be much longer.
So she's planning on dying. I guess that's what all the lack of eating and other stuff is about. Unfortunately, last time I heard, refusing to deposit checks in your bank account or change your sheets didn't make anyone DIE any faster. It just makes life a whole lot more of a pain in the ass for the rest of us.
I found two forged checks on Nanny's checking account, each for almost $400. She fell for another scam and gave out her checking information to someone who called up and pretended to be the bank. I had to get her account closed down and then open up yet ANOTHER new checking account.
Just a few days ago I found out that the bank is refusing to reimburse the fraud, since my grandmother "conducted business" with the scammers. Um no, she thought they were people from the bank calling. So now I have to go fight with the bank. Argh.
For now Fran and I are keeping her checks hidden away, and anything with her banking information on it. That way she won't have access to any account numbers, and can't give it out to scammers. I don't know what else to do. I thought about changing her phone number and having the old one forward to me, but haven't gotten around to investigating what hassles are involved in that.
BIRTHDAY
I turned 37 last Wednesday. For my birthday I went and got my legs waxed, then had a 90-minute prenatal massage that was absolute bliss. I was able to move my back and hips freely for the first time in ages.
The masseuse said that I was one wrong move away from total spasm. My entire lower back was in perma-clench, shoulders and neck completely rigid, she couldn't get my arms to go up over my head, etc. Pretty sad for someone who used to be a fairly flexible yoga aficionada. But then again, I haven't been taking care of myself, I haven't been stretching, I've just been stressing and getting more and more stiff and tight.
So OK, I promise to do cat/dog pelvic tilts, forward folds, bridge pose, and pigeon pose on a regular basis. Plus stretch my shoulders and do neck rolls.
That afternoon I had an OB appointment, and I set up my C-section for January 22nd. My doctor was not thrilled about that, since my due date is supposedly the 25th. I told him that I went 5 days over with Julian, and I'm from Scandinavian/Northern European ancestry, in which the women typically deliver bigger, later babies. I came late, my brother came late, etc.
He is still convinced that THIS time I'll deliver early and then it won't be a nice, relaxed, planned C-section. Well, whatever guy. I'll take my chances. I'm more excited than anyone to get this baby OUT of my body, but I don't really want him to come out before he's fully cooked.
SICK
This cold thing has gone far enough. While I was at the OB, I asked for a prescription for azithromycin, just *in case* this sinus infection took a turn for the worse. Well, Friday night I suddenly started getting intense tooth pain, and it felt like someone had slugged me in the cheek with a sledgehammer.
Ding! Time for those antibiotics, I'd say. As soon as I started them I immediately felt better and was able to breathe (and therefore sleep) at night. The tooth pain got worse at first, (yesterday I was seriously fantasizing about pulling out some teeth with pliers, even though I knew it was just referred pain and didn't really have anything to do with my teeth at all) but today it feels better. Still tender on the left side of my face, but not too bad.
HOLIDAY FUN
Yesterday we went up to Crest Ranch Farm to go cut down a Christmas tree. It was a lovely drive through the forest, and Julian even took a nap on the way. Once we got up there it was bitterly COLD, even with coats and hat on....maybe in the 30's. But we chose and cut down a lovely 6-foot tree and got it tied onto the roof of our car.
Then we headed to Boulder Creek afterwards and had lunch by the fire at Scopazzi's. I decorated the tree when we got home, and it looks beautiful. Last night was the second night of Hanukkah as well, so we lit the Hanukkah candles and did double holiday time.
COOKING COLLECTIVE
My Cooking Collective is going pretty well. We made 15 pans of lasagna over here last Tuesday, plus a gigantic batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. It was kind of hectic, we had eight moms and their kids, but everyone still had fun. I cut the per-session limit back to five moms though. That way it's more relaxed and not as crazy.
Next on our list is Chili Con Carne and Cornbread. I am trying to stock up my freezer so that I have plenty of food when the new baby arrives, but I keep pulling it out to eat when I'm too tired to cook. Plus I want to *try* these recipes after cooking them.
Last night we had Lemon Glazed Chicken Breasts out of the deep freeze from the first CC session. Delicious. I will definitely make that one again.
Enough updating for now. Julian and I are going to the Campbell Farmer's Market this morning to get some fruit and veggies, and take in the sunny weather and fresh air outside before it starts getting cold and dark.
