A Random List of Happenings

There is so much happening in Maggie Land these days, that about the time I know what I want to blog here, something changes and I have to search for new words. So in lieu of coherency, I have opted for a random list of happenings.

1) In September, my parents moved in with us. As the readers of the old blog know, my dad lost his job in February of 2008, after being relocated to the mid-west...and 20-something years of service. Neither my mom, nor he have been able to find jobs since and are living with us.

2) In October, after a four-month escrow, my middle son's house (which my parents were going to move into with him) fell out of escrow on the day before we were set to sign loan documents (we were co-signing) due to the house being reclassified as a condo, because the city redevelopment agency decided that having the word "condo" on a title sounded more upscale than "single family residence" or whatever the correct term is, despite the fact that it was clearly NOT a condo, since land was being purchased (and no amount of run on sentence could make it make sense, so just go with it).

3) Our oldest son is unemployed also, and has been since late last year. He and his wife and two little boys are living with his mom (I'm the step-mom, remember) and three of her kids (of whom I am NOT the step-mom) in a small three-bedroom house. But oldest son just got three new tattoos. He turned 23 yesterday.

4) Our youngest son's step-dad is virtually unemployed. He gets piece work here and there, but no steady income. His mom has never worked outside the home.

5) Two weeks ago, our middle son got his hours cut to part time, and learned his job will very likely not last the year. All that "Oh no, the house didn't close!" turned quickly to "Thank GOD the house didn't close!" Amazing the difference a few weeks makes.

6) Since my parents are living with us, and our oldest son is living with the boys' mom, there is no place for middle son and his wife and two daughters to go...so we are paying half his rent to keep him afloat.

7) Our oldest son's wife has cancer. She has had it for some time, but when they first started her radiation treatment, they found out she was pregnant. As her cancer is in her female organs, she opted to continue the pregnancy, because she will be sterile after her cancer treatments are complete, and she felt it was her only chance to have a baby. After her C-section August, 2008, the doctors wanted her to have 3 months to heal before resuming her radiation, at which time...guess what...she was pregnant. She decided her son needed a sibling and continued that pregnancy to term as well. Here we are in November, 2009, and now she is not responding to the radiation. The doctors are switching her to chemo.

8) My dog is sick. She has Cushings disease which it apparently very expensive to treat...on top of the expense of having her tested in the first place. Either way, it doesn't look promising long-term.

9) There are some major battle lines being drawn at my workplace, and a war is pending. My last post referred to the can being open, and the worms being everywhere. After a week or so of drama, we are currently operating in the "ignoring the worms" mode...but a storm is brewing. It is not over. Not by a long shot.

10) Hubby's workplace is awash in legal issues. Major damage potential.

11) Then there was THIS on Saturday...and YES I saw it.

I have tried to carefully present these random thoughts so as to report only the facts. I have purposefully refrained from editorializing with my opinions. Feel free to comment as you will, but I feel that it would be prudent for me to keep my opinions on certain matters to myself. You just never know who is watching.

But believe me, I DO have opinions. Oh yes, I do.

And I have troubles (whoa-oh). I have worries (whoa-oh). I got wounds to bind.

I'll bet you wish I had just stayed silent now, don't you?