The Goat Pen

Happy Mother's Day Hedge!

Likewise, and to everyone. Whatever one's relationship with their mother, she the only one you'll ever have...

Mine is 82. Cancer survivor. She is moving pretty slow but she can still get around, drive a car, work in the garden (with the help of a lawn mower to move her from the house to the yard).

I don't spend enough time seeing her and I know it, mainly because she reminds me every week.

Take the time.

yea I am - I bought her a lift chair at my house so she can visit us this summer for an extended stay

got some good ribeyes last night and 4 pounds of King Crab - made a mothers day dinner for my wife with the kids this afternoon

First time I ever tried king crab at home. Its pre-cooked so its not rocket science but I'm not sure if restaurants season it or not. This was good, but it was a little bland.

Dammit E. I have 2 chair lifts I'm trying to give away. And I agree. Get your ass down there. This is the first without mine and it sucks.

eCat wrote:got some good ribeyes last night and 4 pounds of King Crab - made a mothers day dinner for my wife with the kids this afternoon

First time I ever tried king crab at home. Its pre-cooked so its not rocket science but I'm not sure if restaurants season it or not. This was good, but it was a little bland.

Gotta add in the Old Bay.

Jungle Rat wrote:Dammit E. I have 2 chair lifts I'm trying to give away. And I agree. Get your ass down there. This is the first without mine and it sucks.

It's been 16 months since my mother died. This is still a very tough day for me. Had to sit in the car while my wife and children went into church. Couldn't go in. Very tough day for my father. He's 87.

My mom has been gone for a few years, and my kids are old enough to take care of their mother. I know it sounds cold, but it doesn't effect me emotionally anymore. I'm kind of glad I don't have to do anything for this day any more except pay for dinner.

sardis wrote:My mom has been gone for a few years, and my kids are old enough to take care of their mother. I know it sounds cold, but it doesn't effect me emotionally anymore. I'm kind of glad I don't have to do anything for this day any more except pay for dinner.

I understand that. Hoping to get there.

Owlman wrote:

Jungle Rat wrote:Dammit E. I have 2 chair lifts I'm trying to give away. And I agree. Get your ass down there. This is the first without mine and it sucks.

It's been 16 months since my mother died. This is still a very tough day for me. Had to sit in the car while my wife and children went into church. Couldn't go in. Very tough day for my father. He's 87.

I was basically numb today when we unveiled her headstone. Thank God for weed.

Of course after that I left to attend a funeral of a friend who lost his heroin addiction. Fun fucking day.

The biggest disconnect me and my wife have (besides my inability to understand how she can spend so much cash per month) is our familiar dynamics. She is on good terms with her sisters and her mother (her father? Meh). However, they all seem to be exceedingly fine only seeing each other 4 or 5 times a year, even though they are all within 2 hours by car of each other. If I could, I would see my parents once or two a month. So, while I would happily hit the road for a day trip to see my peeps (and her's, since they are in the same general Philly area), my wife packs my kids weekends with activities (Tae Kwon Do, music, swimming, soccer). I'm effectively a chauffeur every Saturday and Sunday around the city. I'm on a constant tightrope trying to sneak visits down to my parents whenever I can. It's particularly poignant for me right now, as they are both very mobile and energetic, but they are deep into their 70s and my father is closing in on 80. I know time the window will close...and in my family, we don't fuck around with a slow descent. We are here on a Thursday, stroke out on Saturday and cold by Wednesday. So, I want as much time as possible...and my kids as much time, too. Right now, it's largely made up via Facetime.

the flipside of that is you're also teaching your kids that not visiting the parents for months at a time is acceptable.

I don't even want my kids moving out of Cincinnati

When my youngest graduates HS I'm outta here. If they want to follow have at it.

I played golf with my dad yesterday. He lives pretty much across the street, so I see or at least talk to him almost every day...

hedge wrote:I played golf with my dad yesterday. He lives upstairs, so I see or at least talk to him almost every day...

FYP

He is actually thinking of moving but I bet he won't do it...

My mom will be 70 this fall...she still works for the USPS, and shows no signs of calling it quits any time soon. She likes money too much.

When my brother died a few years ago, he was upside down on a brand new F-250 that she had co-signed for...so now she drives a truck that she can barely climb up into, with a note not as shy from a house payment as one would like to think...