"Keep a Journal: How else are you going to get a good look at who you were?"

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Only 9 more posts (after this one) before we hit the "magic 100".

Lessee: updates.

Our Benevolent Canadian Government will be providing for Granpa. That is to say, he probably won't have to withdraw whatever portion of his estate is currently bound up in our house, as there are provincially-sponsored facilities that will provide care for basically the cost of what he draws as a pensioner. I hope he makes a full recovery...I know it won't be a particularily quick recovery; but let's hope he gains back enough to move back into our place. I may just be playing the cockeyed optimist there...according to L; even if he recovers as much as he is able, it may not be enough for him to ever live on his own again. Getting old sucks.

Colin went on his very first roadtrip. We took our bikes over to Grandma Sanderson's on Sunday last and he showed off his "hot wheels spin racers"; what he bought with his birthday money. He was fine, if a little rusty...he hasn't ridden since last fall. Still needs to work on his braking, as he plowed into the hedge next to our driveway. He was unhurt. It could have been worse; he could have hit the garage door instead.

That boy ain't right. He's a space cadet, just like his pa...

According to the expert L took Colin to see on Monday, Colin is Autistic. This means that he will never, ever succeed in a typical school environment, and may not be able to function in society. Personally, I think it's all a load of bushwah. The Doctor may be suffering from the Hammer syndrome: "When all you have is a hammer, it is amazing to find how much all your problems look like nails". It is possible Herr Doctor can't diagnose anything but trouble. I believe there's nothing wrong with Colin that a little Montessori Method couldn't cure...I will need to read up on it.

Work:

I am the new "dock bitch".

Pardon my lingua franca...I have been re-assigned as a dock driver by our new dept. head, Stan Carter.

Yay Stan. Sometime, I'll get around to telling him about departmental transfers, and how they affect our performance numbers. Xdock stats should be pretty good, but Central Stock numbers are going to go down like the Titanic. After all, Central is donating 7.5 hours labor to the Xdock per day, all courtesy of yours truly; who may have been re-assigned, but I'd bet anything Stan hasn't yet re-domiciled my hours to the Xdock dept.! I SHOULD be taking care to swipe in and out of the Xdock on a daily basis...but I can't be bothered. Stan did say that the re-assignment was "for a little while". I took him at his word, but we're going to have to discuss it when he's got a spare moment tomorrow.

Marv Walling was the orginal DB...but he's been off the last few days sick. I've been having fun, as it's only been two days and the inevitable errors I've made / am going to make, haven't caught up with me yet. I guess I'm getting the job done...at least I haven't heard any complaints. Stan isn't one for subtlety, so if I was coming up short I'm pretty sure he would let me know.

In a few days....we get to find out if the company has been sold. I give it another 4 to 6 weeks after that until I find out whether or not I'm going to be changing jobs. Yet another crisis looms.

Speaking of crises...

My mom seems to have sparked one by going to see Granpa in Delta Hospital. L has taken this as a personal affront, and now wishes to rip out my Mother's windpipe and beat her over the head with the wet end. Nothing for me to do except ride out L's tantrum and remind Mom that no good deed goes un-punished. L was in a heated fury as she gossiped with her mom about the "incedent"; and even threatened to phone my Mom to chew her out...

...yah, like L has the guts to do that...;)

And my Mom would sit and take it? NOT!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Cue the ominous thunder...

Some changes in our situation may be forthcoming shortly.

It started with HBC getting a hostile takeover bid from an american financier who has done some impressive things in the retail industry in the US. Specifically, Mr. Zucker of Target, inc. - now of the Maple Leaf Heritage Investment Trust.

HBC declared Mr. Zucker's latest bid for the company's outstanding shares "acceptable". This after an earlier offer (unsolicited) was rejected.

Work at 507 proceeds as usual...but we've all got in the back of our minds that the company will be changing hands in a few weeks, and that could possibly mean that some or all of us will be looking for new jobs.

To make matters interesting in the meantime: HBC corporate in Toronto has finally loosed the purse strings and purchased a fleet of new lift trucks for 507. This after we were jonesing for them for about the past three years. I don't know the reason for the sudden spending spree...but I'm grateful.

HBC will also be building a new Distribution Centre in Calgary. 'Bout time, too... It is NOT cost effective to ship priority perishables to Calgary from Toronto via Vancouver. 'Tis like Storkcraft Cribs all over again...Not one to be considered profligate, HBC has also stated that the new centre in Calgary will also house the Fields head office. We've been waiting for Fields to move out for what, 13 years??

So there's the job situation; now, on to the home situation.

Granpa had a stroke.

Actually, the trouble may have started a few weeks ago with a mild cardiac episode. This came, coincidentally, a week or two after a new medication was added into his daily mix. But, of course, NONE of these tragic events can be blamed on incompetent doctoring, no sir...

Anyway, long about Sunday he sprung a minor internal leak in the ol' Cerebellum. This produced additional symptoms of nausea, drowsiness and dizziness. He figured he just had a bout of flu on his hands.

On Tuesday morning, his vision suddenly went...

He panicked, lost his english and tried to explain (in Dutch) what was happening to him. Laurie had the car because I decided to have a "ride to work for the heck of it because the weather's nice" day. She drove Granpa to hospital. Several tests and re-assesments later, he is in a private room in Delta Hospital; waiting for his eyesight and faculties to come back.

What bodes for our future? What if, for instance, his eyesight and faculties don't come back??

He may need to stay in an extended-care facility.

He can't afford it on his savings.

He may have to remove the equity he has invested in our house.

We would have to re-mortgage our house. This would almost certainly result in our paying DOUBLE the monthly payment we have now. We can't afford that.

Nothing causes family stress like money trouble. Trudy has suggested that if Granpa vacated the house to live in a "rest home", this would give us an opportunity to rent out the basement suite and we could then pay off our mortgage that way. L has responded that she doesn't want to play landlord.

There are some practical considerations, as well: we would need to install a walkway, and a door into the garage (or install a keylock switch on the garage door). Also, the suite needs another exit, in order to meet city code and bylaws. A practical solution to the "back door problem" as I call it; would be to put up dividing walls between the "living room" and "laundry room" downstairs. This would enable someone to enter the suite from the back door of the house, without going into the laundry room or living room downstairs - as long as the doors are kept under lock-and-key.