Month: December 2022

The vet thinks that Lizzie is suffering from granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME), a disease that is similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. It is incurable.

The doctor gave her a shot of an anti-inflammatory which he hopes will give her some relief. If it doesn’t work, he believes that would prove that her disease is so advanced that her symptoms can’t be treated.

She had a rough ride home, slid on the floor and cried in a heartbreaking way. I pulled over and propped her back on the seat, and that seemed to be more comfortable for her.

Meanwhile, it was “wheels up” for me. I have bone-on-bone myself, not nearly as bad as hers to be sure, but enough to put off shopping or going to the transfer station today.

Ryan was by this morning to take another look at windows and spotted one that doesn’t need to be replaced.

Ron was up until 2.

Finally made it there with Ron, two trips. Recycled cans, cardboard and paper, got refuse stickers, disposed of a bag of trash.

Stopped at Spirits, Ron selected two bottles of bubbly for New Year’s.

Organized another transfer station load for tomorrow. Whether early or late morning depends on how things go with the vet visit.

Ron had been talking about “the Mish” and how he missed Mexican food, so we ordered take-out from one of the local restaurants.

Rather than listening to me or his own eyes, Ron decided to take a different route to the restaurant and ended up getting lost. The enchiladas verdes were edible but I’m not a fan so it didn’t matter.

Meanwhile, one of us had the clever idea to put the huge box of Ron’s older LPs in the coal closet. Good excuse to vacuum the closet and “mud room”.

Ron got an offer from his credit union for a car loan.

Unfortunately, it’s about $3,800 less than what he needs to pay off his contract. That’s because he opted for all kinds of extras, and the total he requested is more than the car is worth.

He has some money from his settlement with GEICO. I offered to give him the difference. Give. Not lend.

What was his answer?

A nonchalant “Okay.” Not “thank you” or “that’s very generous” or “I really appreciate it; thanks.”

“Okay” in a world-weary voice.

I took back the offer. Pearls before frigging swine.

I just perused through piles of junk in the room we are calling The Office, hoping to find Ron’s checkbooks.

I’m appalled at the volume of odds and ends, every piece of which represents money wasted.

I did find some of Ron’s checkbooks, in plain view in the Guest Room, along with some of my files, and emptied two more oversized cardboard boxes.

Packed linens into the wardrobe; not organized but at least out of the way for now.

Gorgeous sunrise this morning: pink and blue. Warm spell coming up.

John the plumber from Mr. Rooter just went over options for a new hot water tank; we decided on a 50 gallon, price for removal and installation is fair, and I hope they can install it next week.

Meanwhile, received a 100 gallon oil delivery; last was 24 days ago. Heat is costing about $22/day. Yikes.

Found the last extension phone.

Email correspondence with Cape Cod Five about closing. Returned a call yesterday from Lemonade, left message.

We managed to drag the king mattress and headboard downstairs and put them by the driveway, just in time for the disposal company to pick them up.

The MDF is gone, too.

Three visits: Pete the electrician, the disposal company people and then a surprise, Sean the plow guy.

Nice to see so many men with blue eyes!

Ron, much to his credit, put together our bed frame – by himself – last evening.

We were able to set the mattress back on with relatively little difficulty.

I took apart some of the old king bed headboard.

That worked okay but my attempt to put the desk chair next to my computer failed. The chair fell apart and we ended up with grease spots on the carpet. Remarkably, “Shout” laundry stain remover got most of them out.

It’s become time for year-end evaluations by the media. Dave Barry’s humorous one was quite good, I thought. The wrap-up in “Time” is optimistic: “We learned there’s power in protest” according to the voiceover.

We still haven’t opened our gifts, but no way we’d trade them so doesn’t matter.

There is still so much to do to get the house organized. The worst are the bags of tiny things: pill bottles, miscellaneous pieces of this or that, hardware.

I’m hoping to charm up the pantry with a bunch of just unpacked baskets.

Replaced the broken glass in front of the photo of Ron’s grandparents.

Trying to fit a drawer into Ron’s dresser. Think an attempted repair job may have made it a tad too wide.

Tech on Spectrum Chat sent a reboot that cleared whatever wasn’t letting me set up voicemail. Points also to the last customer service person for getting rid of the damnable TV service.

I unpacked the collection dolls today. Need to move the LP boxes so I can arrange them.

Last year’s Fall silk flower arrangement looks nice in Alice’s tole.

Mountain in view from this window does have a slight purple hue.

J Marie had the best idea so far: a wee dram o’ whiskey to make the season bright.

I’ve been puttering, finding places for most of the big furniture. Made a salad, which seemed to take forever.

Set up the living room with the upholstered chairs and an end table in one section and a work area with my computer and the printers near the windows. I have a fine view!

Ron(hero) made ravs for our first real home cooked meal, cleaned up the dishes and took Lizzie out. We ate on TV tables in lieu of the kitchen.

It was 7 when Ron and Lizzie went out early this morning.

I did a grocery run at Stop & Shop then took Water Street/Route 43 to Five Corners for lunch and bakery items.

Took 7 back to Williamstown Center, stopped at the A-frame bakery for more pastry.

Gorgeous, gorgeous country.

Shops and stores were busy. Light traffic on the roads.

While I was gone, Lizzie leaked on the carpet. Ron cleaned it up with the Little Green.

I broke down a bunch of cardboard boxes and loaded up the truck. Brought some furniture in from the sunroom; found the rice!

We had crudites and pastry while we watched tv.

On or around midnight, Ron took Lizzie out again. She trumped and leaked – after they got back to the house.

This is not good.

We were at Tunnel City Coffee celebrating Festivus when rain turned to snow. By the time we reached the car in the (free) parking lot across the street, it had started to accumulate.

A block or two away, it had covered the passenger and rear windows so much that Ron had to stop so we could clear it off.

I was underdressed for the weather and had consumed a too-sweet mocha and ginger cookie: cold, nauseous, sore, a little scared. Emptied my stomach when we got home, curled up on the couch with a blanket and grateful to be out of the elements.

I’d made an appointment for Lizzie at a new vet but canceled it the day before. Lucky: we would have been in Bennington when the snow started.

Not much of an accumulation after all, and the vehicles are in the garage.

Finally canceled Vonage and Infinity.