There are days when I feel like there is a distinctly gray cloud over my head.

I got up Thursday and noticed that the house was warmer than usual.  I held my hand over the vent in my living room and felt that the air coming out was lukewarm.  I turned down the temp. and went to work.  That night, no real difference.  The next day - hot as hell.  I called the heater guy and found that my external unit was shot - it was at least 20 years old, so I was bummed out, but not terribly surprised, it has been wonky for the last couple of years.  I asked how much to replace and heard $3100.00.  Ooof.  When he suggested that I cool it over night and let the condenser reset as a first recourse, I went for it.

Saturday - NO LUCK.  I have a separate unit in my porch, so I turned that on and had everyone, Mom, R and M sleep downstairs.  luckily I have three couches (it's a big house).  I settled down to sleep myself.  2:30 in the morning, I hear a horrible crash.  I run into the living room and find my 80 year old mother crumbled to the floor.  Her head was bleeding profusely, and her wrist was broken.  She tripped getting up from the couch to take her medicine.  Called 911 - followed the ambulance to the hospital where she was in the ER for five hours before they admitted her.  When I heard they were admitting her, I left and crashed on the couch for a couple of hours before I took R to the airport to ship her down to NC to visit her aunt.   Back to the hospital, find out my mom will be in at least overnight.  Take my son out to dinner and a movie to keep his mind off the fact that it's the 8th time my mother has been rushed to the hospital in the last four years. 

Monday - got the final price quote for the unit - it's 3600.00 total, but hey, I get a 10 year warranty. BFD, I'll be lucky if I'm living here in another four years.  Go meet with R's counselor at school to get the low down on her 504 plan (she's ADHD kid), did I mention that I have only two days left at my job and gee, I won't be in the office for either of them??  Arrghh.  Head to run errands for Mom and wound up buying this to make me feel better:

(Yes Devonshire, it IS Vera Bradley - I've officially regained my prep status, but c'mon, it's Pucci inspired and you know I love anything retro 60's Italian - god knows I have a body by spaghetti).

Head back to the hospital - only information I can find out is that they cannot do a cat scan because her kidneys cannot handle the iodine, so they have to find out another way to see if there is still bleeding in the brain (or if there is any to begin with).  Mom says they keep looking at her eyes to see if there is bleeding - I only know that they are bloodshot.  She has sten units on her feet to keep them pulsating to prevent clots. They set her wrist, her fingers are swollen and a bit bruised looking.  They keep icing it to keep the swelling down.  She'll be in there tomorrow for dialysis (it's her dialysis day), and maybe then they'll let her actually stand up.  I actually hope they decide to put her into a step-down unit for a week to help her get her strength back, but I doubt it will happen.

A couple of things - my sister and I have taken to calling this the curse - let me explain before you think I'm cold-hearted.  I was due to leave Thursday morning to go to Topsail Island. Every, and I do mean every, time I schedule a trip down to visit my sister in NC, something happens that puts my mom in the hospital.  It usually happens right after she whines to my sister that she doesn't want to be alone.  Mind you, she never complains when I go to work, only when I go somewhere for myself. Do I think she does this on purpose? Not really, but I sometimes wonder if some weird cosmic powers are in force here. 

It's now 87 degrees in the house - I was going to cook, but forget it, it's too hot to do anything here.  This mini sabbatical before I start the new job is going to break me. 

I'm wondering if I have done some really bad shit to people in my last life to have so much that keeps falling on my plate. Not that I can't handle it with fairly good humor, but geez, it would be REALLY nice to have the load lighten up a little, y'know? I'd like to find some space on the plate so to speak.

Oh yeah, the diet? 
Not so good while this stuff is going on.