B and C
Well-known member
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We had a GREAT 5 weeks in the desert (including the RTR and Super Bowl party [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] ) and were looking forward to more time away. Our feet are itchy already.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We left Ehrenberg Monday after the Super Bowl party and were camping on BLM land at the Southern entrance to Joshua Tree NP when my sister in Georgia called before we got into the park on the 9th of Feb. IDK if there is cell service in the park, but we were going to be inside it for 4 days so was glad to get the call before we entered. My mother (94) was in the hospital with a breathing tube and unresponsive. The outlook was not positive but the Dr.'s wanted a CT scan that could not be done until the following morning...... Waiting for news is the hard part and not being there. This has been (and not been (head in sand)) expected. To me it was a relief knowing that she did not really suffer when she passed. My sister asked what I thought should be done. My reply went something like she has a do not resuscitate letter and is a vegetable at the moment. I would not want to be kept artificially "here" and I don't think she would either. If she does not come out of the coma and the scan doesn't look good, remove the breathing tube. She called my other two brothers and asked the same question and their reply was similar to my own. The next morning (in California) we got the news that it was a massive stroke and the breathing tube was ordered removed. A couple of hours later the tube was removed and she was breathing on her own slowly and deeply. We decided to pack up and leave for home. About 6 hours later she called when we were at the bypass of Phoenix going down to I-8 on the 10th of Feb. I drove all the way to Van Horn Texas before stopping for the night at about 2 in the morning. [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I am so glad this happened when my sister was not out of the country and I was not out of cell range. No telling what would have transpired if it were left to my two brothers.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The next day we got up late, ate breakfast and drove the rest of the way home arriving in town about 8:30 PM. Go out to eat, go home and turn on the water, water heaters and open a bathroom and set the thermostat. Slept.... Man, was I tired. I hate destination driving and here, I did it AGAIN.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The next morning, my sister and BIL are on their way to Texas (driving). They got our mothers room at the nursing home cleaned out and a mortuary in Georgia got mom embalmed and air freighted to Plano, Texas where she was interred next to our dad the following Monday. [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]My BIL got us (and them) reservations at a nice hotel about 15 minutes away from the funeral home for Saturday night through Tuesday. We drove to Plano Saturday morning early and spent a couple of hours with brother #2 that lives nearby. My sister had a meeting at the funeral home at 2:00 PM on Saturday and I wanted to be there. Our #2 brother came too. Our oldest brother could not attend due to health issues. Damn, all of us are getting old and I am the baby of this family. I did not realize that a prepaid funeral could cost so much. I think my BIL wrote about an $8,500 check. I am so glad my sister married well. He was poor when they married but they did well. The viewing to be 5-7 on Sunday and the funeral at 11 on Monday.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]She had not lived in Plano for the last 6 years and most of her friends have already passed so the only people that came were some old, long time friends of the family. The word just did not get out of her passing. She at one time was referred to as the unofficial greeter for the town. She was well known and universally liked. We moved there in 1956 so had been there since it was a small town of 3500.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The service went well and the grave site was just across the street and close to the entrance so everyone just walked across.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]After the service, my BIL took all family members out to eat at a nice Mexican restaurant (I missed Tex-Mex). I tried to pitch in for that too and was again refused. We all had a good time.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We went to our son's house on the way home Tuesday. I helped him with some put off projects and we ended up coming back home on Friday afternoon.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I guess we will be stuck here until I get the taxes done, my Medicare part B done, my company health benefits settled, finances setup on autopilot and a little pitching of stuff from the van. Just tough to do from the road when some of these require snail mail only. What century is this anyway? I guess they expect retirees to go home and set on the front porch waiting for the mail.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I told my sister that we would come out to Georgia after I get things settled here and stay a couple of weeks. We will go to Florida to see our oldest brother while we are there. We may have to take brother #2 with us which will make that trip shorter than 2 weeks.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]After that we can get back out there! It can't get here soon enough.[/font]
Sorry for the long post but I had to write some of it down before it became a distant memory since I have CRS (can't remember sh, er stuff).
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I wrote this to explain why we were back home and not still out there. I will be posting some for a short while. I check the forum when I am bored. Waiting 'till we see ya on the road.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We left Ehrenberg Monday after the Super Bowl party and were camping on BLM land at the Southern entrance to Joshua Tree NP when my sister in Georgia called before we got into the park on the 9th of Feb. IDK if there is cell service in the park, but we were going to be inside it for 4 days so was glad to get the call before we entered. My mother (94) was in the hospital with a breathing tube and unresponsive. The outlook was not positive but the Dr.'s wanted a CT scan that could not be done until the following morning...... Waiting for news is the hard part and not being there. This has been (and not been (head in sand)) expected. To me it was a relief knowing that she did not really suffer when she passed. My sister asked what I thought should be done. My reply went something like she has a do not resuscitate letter and is a vegetable at the moment. I would not want to be kept artificially "here" and I don't think she would either. If she does not come out of the coma and the scan doesn't look good, remove the breathing tube. She called my other two brothers and asked the same question and their reply was similar to my own. The next morning (in California) we got the news that it was a massive stroke and the breathing tube was ordered removed. A couple of hours later the tube was removed and she was breathing on her own slowly and deeply. We decided to pack up and leave for home. About 6 hours later she called when we were at the bypass of Phoenix going down to I-8 on the 10th of Feb. I drove all the way to Van Horn Texas before stopping for the night at about 2 in the morning. [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I am so glad this happened when my sister was not out of the country and I was not out of cell range. No telling what would have transpired if it were left to my two brothers.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The next day we got up late, ate breakfast and drove the rest of the way home arriving in town about 8:30 PM. Go out to eat, go home and turn on the water, water heaters and open a bathroom and set the thermostat. Slept.... Man, was I tired. I hate destination driving and here, I did it AGAIN.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The next morning, my sister and BIL are on their way to Texas (driving). They got our mothers room at the nursing home cleaned out and a mortuary in Georgia got mom embalmed and air freighted to Plano, Texas where she was interred next to our dad the following Monday. [/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]My BIL got us (and them) reservations at a nice hotel about 15 minutes away from the funeral home for Saturday night through Tuesday. We drove to Plano Saturday morning early and spent a couple of hours with brother #2 that lives nearby. My sister had a meeting at the funeral home at 2:00 PM on Saturday and I wanted to be there. Our #2 brother came too. Our oldest brother could not attend due to health issues. Damn, all of us are getting old and I am the baby of this family. I did not realize that a prepaid funeral could cost so much. I think my BIL wrote about an $8,500 check. I am so glad my sister married well. He was poor when they married but they did well. The viewing to be 5-7 on Sunday and the funeral at 11 on Monday.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]She had not lived in Plano for the last 6 years and most of her friends have already passed so the only people that came were some old, long time friends of the family. The word just did not get out of her passing. She at one time was referred to as the unofficial greeter for the town. She was well known and universally liked. We moved there in 1956 so had been there since it was a small town of 3500.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The service went well and the grave site was just across the street and close to the entrance so everyone just walked across.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]After the service, my BIL took all family members out to eat at a nice Mexican restaurant (I missed Tex-Mex). I tried to pitch in for that too and was again refused. We all had a good time.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]We went to our son's house on the way home Tuesday. I helped him with some put off projects and we ended up coming back home on Friday afternoon.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I guess we will be stuck here until I get the taxes done, my Medicare part B done, my company health benefits settled, finances setup on autopilot and a little pitching of stuff from the van. Just tough to do from the road when some of these require snail mail only. What century is this anyway? I guess they expect retirees to go home and set on the front porch waiting for the mail.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I told my sister that we would come out to Georgia after I get things settled here and stay a couple of weeks. We will go to Florida to see our oldest brother while we are there. We may have to take brother #2 with us which will make that trip shorter than 2 weeks.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]After that we can get back out there! It can't get here soon enough.[/font]
Sorry for the long post but I had to write some of it down before it became a distant memory since I have CRS (can't remember sh, er stuff).
[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I wrote this to explain why we were back home and not still out there. I will be posting some for a short while. I check the forum when I am bored. Waiting 'till we see ya on the road.[/font]
