Ramblings of a rural(ish) geek

election work is continuing. Next week, I get to wear the "IT Minion" hat, and will plug in/update/patch the computers we use for the electronic version of the pollbook and download the current version of the EPB so that IT can make sure they still play well together; and we'll be doing the public accuracy test for the tabulators. 600+ AV ballots sent out already; we'll probably send out another 75 or so before the election in early May.

Wednesday, J went out with the ladder and the chainsaw and cut down branches that had gotten split/twisted in the ice and windstorms early last month. I got to help haul large branches to the burn pile. whee?

Mum called on Sunday evening - she'd put her older sister (AC, who is 94) into hospice. AC went in for gallbladder surgery in mid-March, but in hindsight, that was just the first system failing. She never really recovered, and while they could do all sorts of dramatic interventions and tests to find out why she's not thriving, there's not a lot of confidence that even if they do find out that a)there's anything that can be done and/or b)it will increase her quality of life enough to make all the tests worthwhile. So that's a thing. I will probably have to go to FL at some point to help Mum with AC's FL house, and then to NC in the summer to deal with AC's NC house. LilSis will also be available for some of it, but she's already spent 3 weeks in FL with Mum/AC this spring, and she does have her own things that she needs to stay on top of.

There are daffodils blooming all over the yard. Many trees are leafing out, and there are lots of weeds to be pulled (yay). J plugged the rill pump in a couple of days ago, and the birdies have been enjoying the running water. I stopped putting out the mealworm feeder a couple of weeks ago when I realised that the blackbirds were eating *all* of the mealworms and none of the other birds were getting any.

Had a nice visit with Mum and Sis in Lexington. Weather was cool for KY, so that was nice. Mum is doing quite well for 91. Slowing down a bit, and it takes her longer to rest up/recover from things -- she'd had to quarantine after her trip to MI, and it took her a few days to get moving again after that. Mum has never liked BBQ, but we mostly ate at places where *I* could get BBQ even if she didn't. We went on a horse-tour, including about 45 minutes at Keeneland with a retired jockey as a guide, so that was nice (and it was a lovely day for that -- sunny and 75F). We didn't manage a distillery tour (I was the only one interested, so.... I had intended to do one on Friday, but we left so early that I would have had to dork around for an hour or so before the first tour of the day. sigh. There was a distillery I could have stopped at about 45 minutes down the road, but by then I was in "I'm Driving" mode and didn't want to stop.)

Sis had gotten a pretty little AirBnB. With two beds. Originally, it was suggested that I'd sleep on an airbed. Sis & Mum got in a couple of days before I did, and Sis emailed me Sat AM and said "there's not really space for an airbed, but the sofa is nice." Uh-huh. Child, I'm older than you *and* have a surgically repaired back. grumble. So I get down there, and what she really meant was "I don't want to share the bedroom with you, and I don't want an airbed in the living room". There was plenty of space for a single airbed. mutter mutter. But I survived.

The drive home today was fine. The gas stations in Bowling Green had no card scanners, so I had to pay cash for gas. (wait! You can *do* that?!?) There was rain in MI, ranging from none to wipers-on-high pounding. Then I got off at my exit and was faced with a detour. It's the country, so the detour is 7 miles long (3.4 miles down, 3.6 miles up).

( rant )

Just the three of us. Lasagne, crescent rolls, salad, and the pumpkin crisp I never made last year. DB started clearing off the kitchen table before lunch, so that I wouldn't have to do it while in the middle of dinner prep. J actually helped this year (!) -- usually he doesn't even notice that I'm clearing the table. We'll see how long he manages to put his crap away. (Usually, 75% of the stuff on the table is his stuff that he can't be bothered to put away.)

Mum (living in NC) was off to T'day dinner with her extended NC family. Her best friend from HS lives down the hall, and *her* daughter lives in the next town over, and Mum has been her "Aunt Suzi" forever. Mum just got back from shuttling AC down to Cocoa last week, and will be going down in Jan for a bit. AC just turned 90, and other than not driving (due to post-concussion symptoms) is still living on her own.

SR is working (team leader on the catering staff) the race schedule at the (horse) racing track across the street from the sub she lives in. She can walk to work, which makes the commute pretty easy. She's sent us a couple of pictures of her in her spiffy sharp black-and-white staff uniform - one with a hi-viz vest over on moving day, and yesterday with a clear raincoat, as it is now spring in Australia and it's doing the spring rains thing. She says that she's adopted "competency is its own punishment" as her work mantra, as she got hired on as a team leader despite no managing experience.

My thumb is getting better, but there are still a few things that make me go "Ow". The OT has told me that I can swap into the smaller splint for daytime now, but still wants me in the big one at night. Two more weeks of OT, and then we reassess -- she has figured out a few more things it isn't, and has mentioned that she may be suggesting a referral to a hand specialist. I'm kind of afraid to ask her if I should take a concert session off (Holiday concert is 9 December, the next one is in March).

The black cat is annoyed by the change in weather -- he wants it warm and not-snow-covered, tyvm.

Is here. :) Yes, that's her in the fire suit -- I recognise her.

I feel like such an underachiever....