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first snow of the season.
Dec. 10th, 2017 10:23 pmYesterday was the first plowable snowstorm of the season. We got six or seven inches of wet snow. Lots of branches down, but none big enough to inconvenience me. Bought one of those push snow shovels in an attempt to save my back. Since I could lean into it and push with my hips once I got the hang of it, it worked really well for clearing off the front walk. I'm sure it would be terrible on the gravel driveway. My back doesn't hurt after shoveling snow, and that's a huge win.
After shoveling the front walk, I went out back with a certain amount of trepidation to see about starting up the snowblower. It vacationed last winter, unused and hiding in the storage container, while the house was being rebuilt. So I had my doubts it would run. Bought a gallon of that pure gasoline with no additives the night before. So I brushed the snow off, checked the oil, and filled the tank. Thank ghod we got the one with the electric starter. It took a few minutes of cranking and fiddling before it finally started firing and then caught. Doing that with the hand pull rope would have suuucked.
Once the motor was running and warmed up, partially cleared the driveway. Didn't do a full job since it is supposed to be sunny monday and a rainstorm tuesday, and more sun after that. Figured that mother nature will take care of the rest of the snow.
Last week, took mom to the hospital on monday. She had fallen twice the week before, once alone in the house, the other time during thanksgiving meal. Took her to after hours clinic the day after thanksgiving where they found a UTI, and didn't find any broken bones. Started on antibiotic. She fell again the following monday and the fire department again came and helped her up. I called her doctors office and they suggested I take her to the ER for more complete workup.
So mom and I spent several hours in the ER, where they ran bunches of tests. xrayed her spine and hips because of pain there, and did a cat scan of her head, and chemistry tests. Nothing really jumped out, but they finally decided to admit her for more testing and observation. She was in the hospital three days then transferred to wingate nursing home for physical therapy. The UTI had cleared up, but they did eventually find a crack in her pelvis.
The only treatment for her pelvis is rest, painkillers, and time. So she is in the nursing home getting physical therapy and healing up. I figure at least two weeks, maybe four. They want to get her to the point where she can get dressed by herself and take care of herself in the house without an attendant. I'd like that, because while it is not a big deal, helping my mom get dressed in the mornings and undressed at night is a bit uncomfortable, and if she is having a bad morning, makes me late for work.
It is my hope that she will be able to return to taking care of herself days. Otherwise we are gonna have to hire an attendant daytimes and anytime I'm gonna be gone from the house longer than an hour or so, which would cost loads of money and further eat into my time for the rest of my life.
Thanksgiving was at our house, which I had to scramble around to find the fine china and clean up the house and assemble the dining room table for everyone to eat on. Other than mom taking her fall, was nice.
I'm slowly getting the house more like a home. Still living out of boxes, but less so. gotta finish doing all the insurance claim stuff for the final settlement. Which is unbelievably tedious, and I'm procrastinating like mad on it. With the snowstorm, I think that ends major furniture cleanup and bringing into the house. I've been bringing things into the house from the storage container, cleaning as needed. Got it about three quarters emptied, so most of whats left in it is very heavy or awkward, which I need the ground to be frozen hard for the furniture dollies to roll on without sinking into the dirt. Or get several hefty friends and some straps to help carry into the basement or barn. I want to stop paying rent on the storage container. If I'd known I was gonna need it this long, I would have bought the damned thing. I've paid more in rent than a purchase price would have been by now.
Oil company inspected the oil tank and recommended that we replace it, since it was original to the house. Cost is about 3 grand, plus hazmat disposal fees for the sludge from the inside of the tank. But since there is no active leaks or obvious problems, putting that off until springtime and warmer weather.
Life goes on.
After shoveling the front walk, I went out back with a certain amount of trepidation to see about starting up the snowblower. It vacationed last winter, unused and hiding in the storage container, while the house was being rebuilt. So I had my doubts it would run. Bought a gallon of that pure gasoline with no additives the night before. So I brushed the snow off, checked the oil, and filled the tank. Thank ghod we got the one with the electric starter. It took a few minutes of cranking and fiddling before it finally started firing and then caught. Doing that with the hand pull rope would have suuucked.
Once the motor was running and warmed up, partially cleared the driveway. Didn't do a full job since it is supposed to be sunny monday and a rainstorm tuesday, and more sun after that. Figured that mother nature will take care of the rest of the snow.
Last week, took mom to the hospital on monday. She had fallen twice the week before, once alone in the house, the other time during thanksgiving meal. Took her to after hours clinic the day after thanksgiving where they found a UTI, and didn't find any broken bones. Started on antibiotic. She fell again the following monday and the fire department again came and helped her up. I called her doctors office and they suggested I take her to the ER for more complete workup.
So mom and I spent several hours in the ER, where they ran bunches of tests. xrayed her spine and hips because of pain there, and did a cat scan of her head, and chemistry tests. Nothing really jumped out, but they finally decided to admit her for more testing and observation. She was in the hospital three days then transferred to wingate nursing home for physical therapy. The UTI had cleared up, but they did eventually find a crack in her pelvis.
The only treatment for her pelvis is rest, painkillers, and time. So she is in the nursing home getting physical therapy and healing up. I figure at least two weeks, maybe four. They want to get her to the point where she can get dressed by herself and take care of herself in the house without an attendant. I'd like that, because while it is not a big deal, helping my mom get dressed in the mornings and undressed at night is a bit uncomfortable, and if she is having a bad morning, makes me late for work.
It is my hope that she will be able to return to taking care of herself days. Otherwise we are gonna have to hire an attendant daytimes and anytime I'm gonna be gone from the house longer than an hour or so, which would cost loads of money and further eat into my time for the rest of my life.
Thanksgiving was at our house, which I had to scramble around to find the fine china and clean up the house and assemble the dining room table for everyone to eat on. Other than mom taking her fall, was nice.
I'm slowly getting the house more like a home. Still living out of boxes, but less so. gotta finish doing all the insurance claim stuff for the final settlement. Which is unbelievably tedious, and I'm procrastinating like mad on it. With the snowstorm, I think that ends major furniture cleanup and bringing into the house. I've been bringing things into the house from the storage container, cleaning as needed. Got it about three quarters emptied, so most of whats left in it is very heavy or awkward, which I need the ground to be frozen hard for the furniture dollies to roll on without sinking into the dirt. Or get several hefty friends and some straps to help carry into the basement or barn. I want to stop paying rent on the storage container. If I'd known I was gonna need it this long, I would have bought the damned thing. I've paid more in rent than a purchase price would have been by now.
Oil company inspected the oil tank and recommended that we replace it, since it was original to the house. Cost is about 3 grand, plus hazmat disposal fees for the sludge from the inside of the tank. But since there is no active leaks or obvious problems, putting that off until springtime and warmer weather.
Life goes on.
