Lisa's Wish Journal - Now we have gone Dopey.

[eyor44]

Just checking in. Nasty weather this morning, but we were safe and lucky. A tornado was south of us and then re-appeared on the coast. One guy at work has house damage, but doesn't seem too bad. Hopefully just a few shingles and an out building. The kids made it to school and we made it in to work......slowly, but all is good.

 

[toystoryduo]

Thank God that you and your family are okay, Lisa! I had no idea that there was severe weather in your area yesterday.


I hope you were able to get a good night's sleep. It sounds like the past few days have been a bit stressful.


I'm surprised that there is availability at CRT! Is there any way that you could make that your special mother/daughter meal? If you're worried about the money, maybe you could do a few extra surveys at SR. If you cash out to Paypal by March 31st, you should have the money in time for your trip. Either way, you and your DD are going to have a WONDERFUL time!


I hope you have a great day today, Lisa!

 

[eyor44]

Thanks Tracy. Yes, we knew the weather was coming, just didn't expect it to be quite that bad. But we are all good.

I was shocked too on the availability of CRT. I have looked at other ressies (I think I am addicted to making reservations) and pretty much everything I looked for was available for the time I put in. Very odd. But CRT being available. Not sure what is going on there. I'm trying hard not to spend more than necessary though. I have thought about cashing out some of my survey $$, but that is for our November trip.

Today was the most beautiful day. Cool and crisp with the most blue sky. Everyone was loving it. Would you believe I love it when it storms? Completely overcast, even the storms don't bother me. As long as there isn't any damage and no one is hurt. The bright sun causes me so many headache issues that I prefer the overcast skys. I know, I'm weird.

Food has been good, but I am behind at work, so no excercise. I am taking the stairs on a regular basis and walking as much as possible during the day.

I have been very careful with spending this week also. I have not been to the store since Monday. The only spending I have done was to mail something at the post office today and pay for a MS walk DD and I are doing in April. Oh yeah, I did renew my TouringPlans.com subscription. Forgot about that. Well, I haven't been to the store. That's progress.

 

[toystoryduo]

Sounds like a beautiful day out your way today. We have flood warnings from heavy rain over the past few days and a winter storm warning for up to 12" of snow at the same time! I can't wait for spring like weather!

Great job on your spending, Lisa!

Hope you have a nice evening!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Lisa, I am so thankful you guys didn't get any damage from that line of storms. This time of year is always so scary, we are warm right now and that means the tornado thing is coming up any day now!

I am not a bit surprised CRT has availability. Frankly, with the dumb way Disney prices their rooms right now, pins for some, other discounts that are blacked out and the fact AP rates are only going to about June 2nd, people aren't booking! I was able to get Chef Mickey's for 8 people for a 7:00 p.m. dinner last week. Unheard of. Maybe Disney needs to lower those room prices, given the price of gas people won't go at the prices they charge!

I am that way too with Disney trips. I make a budget then start making one or two ADR's or start to toy with a mod vs. a value and the next thing I know my budget is shot! Its so easy to do. I like the cs plan because I won't pay for it plus book full serve meals because its so much food we can't eat it all. Although when it became "free" for us I did book Sci Fi and the character meal (actually cancelled Chef Mikey's and did a CP breakfast instead since its cheaper to eat breakfast) but I am just doing those two for a two week trip. At least that is the current plan!

 

[eyor44]

Hello Ladies

We are good here. The kids had another day off from school, teacher work day. DH stayed home today. DD and I both had dance tonight. Felt good to go back. I missed going last week. We learned the end of our dance and right now I am not too worried about it. There are a couple steps I need to work on, but so far so good. Ask me again in two months and I will probably feel completely different.

I am trying hard to keep this trip down so it is douable. I keep thinking "will DD be disappointed if it isn't like our other trips?" But I know that she won't be, but I keep thinking it.

Can I please vent for a minute? It's about the tsunami that just happened. DH keeps watching different news shows and one was Pierce Morgan. He was speaking to someone and asked if this other person thought that the US was ready should anything like this happened here. That the US has never experienced a disaster of this magnitued. HELLO! Does anyone remember Katrina. It completly destroyed the cities along the Gulf Coast and flooded a good portion of New Orleans. DH had to change the channel cause I got so angry. Had I a phone number for him at that moment I would have given him a piece of my mind. Some people just don't think before they speak.

Okay, rant over, we can now return to regular programing.

 

[eyor44]

So, we go to court tomorrow. I want this to be over, but know in my heart if the judge rules in our favor then it won't be over. The neighbor showed up at Gram's today accusing her of trying to involve his children in it. Seems one of my neice's saw one of his DD's today and she looked really sad. So, DN asked if she was okay. The girl just shook her head. DN asked if she was upset about tomorrow. The girl shook her head again. End of conversation. And from this he is accusing Gram of involving the children. He also told Gram, as he was shaking a handful of papers at her, that he has proof her grandkids have been slurring his kids at school. I sat the three older ones down and talked to all of them. DS has been forbidden to even look at them, Dnephew doesn't know them and Dneice said she has only had the one interaction with either of them. Plus I have made sure that nothing has been posted on FB by any of them. Not sure what he was talking about. I think he was just trying to upset her. Thankfully a friend was there taking her dinner and witnessed the entire episode. And I think the friend's (large male) presence kept him from staying too long.

So, off we go tomorrow and we shall see. Please pray for us.

No exercise today as I forgot to take my exercise clothes with me and then had to do all kinds of running around this evening. DH still isn't home from the Fire Department yet, so it's too late for me to out. oh well.

Food was horrible. I ate twice as much as normal.

I'll be back tomorrow and let you all know what happened.

 

[momof2minnies]

Lisa
I am from the North but I too get so angry when this country has not even helped their own people that have had natural devastation the way Katrina was and many other hurricanes and tornadoes over the past 10 years but yet we keep dishing it out to other countries-really ???Where were they when we needed help??? Did anyone fly supplies to us?

Sorry but I would have changed the channel or walked out too.Sick of the double standard

Hope all goes well with your Gram- neighbor seems like a gem!!!

Linda

 

[Amy&Dan]

Lisa, I am praying for your family today as you go to court. I think this guy is just nuts, is there anywhere else Gram can put her trailer? It just sounds so scary, I feel so bad for you all. I cannot imagine the pure evil and hatred that would make someone treat an elderly woman this way. To what end does he do this? Makes no sense. He'll get his someday but in the meantime, I can't imagine how stressful this is. Take care of you!

You know Dan and I said this last night about the tsunami. I am heartbroken for those people but for the media to act like this sort of thing has not happened here is nuts. Katrina is still not cleaned up and you had elderly peole sitting in their homes waiting to drown because they didn't have the money to evacuate and nobdy came to get them. And we had warning! I am still angry. I have a friend who along with several other retired couples from our church belongs to an organization that goes to help hurricane victims rebuild and they have been going for several years to the same community to help Rita victims who were then reaffected by Ike. Who says we don't have disasters? Not to mention 9/11 which also ranks up there as the disaster the rest of the world and our own citizens like to forget. Okay, my rant is over!

I'll be checking later to see how court went.

 

[toystoryduo]

Sending lots of prayers your way, my friend. Please let us know how court goes today.

 

[eyor44]

Home from Court. We go back April 27 for the judge's decision. At the beginning of court (small claims,so there are a LOT of cases) the judge asked our lawyer if he was willing to talk to the other party to try to work out a solution. He agreed and they walked into the lobby. Almost immediately we could hear the neighbor getting very loud, so they walked outside. The neighbor told our lawyer all sorts of new stuff. How concerned he is for Gram to be living by herself (she's not and why be concerned now?), how concerned he is that she is living in a hovel that is falling apart hmm, no. It is old and certainly not the Ritz, but not in danger of falling down tomorrow either. That she has not kept up her end of the deal with keeping insurance and keeping up the property. She has insurance and we take care of the yard faithfully. Needless to say a decision wasn't reached. So we waited......and waited for our turn. Finally got to go up and our lawyer requested to have the case dismissed based on the neighbor filed the wrong motion with the court. He filed an eviction notice when he is not the landlord and she is not his tenant. She does not pay rent and he has never asked her for money. He has only asked me for money. The neighbor tried to say that he wants her to leave cause she hasn't kept up the property or have insurance. After the judge said we had to come back the neighbor was talking to our lawyer in the lobby. He said he is putting up a fence today across the front of the property and her drive and that he is going to require that she keep it closed and locked at all times. The postman drives in her yard to her mailbox beside her house. He said she would have to move it back out to the street. She said they moved it in the first place cause she fell crossing the street one day and almost got hit by a car. His response? To shrug his shoulders and say "Oh well". That is how badly he wants her to leave. He is going to continue to do things until she gives up and leaves. He said he is doing this because I want to play hard ball. Not sure what they means, but I do know that he is not happy we have a lawyer.

Know how I said food was horrible yesterday? Well, not today. Barely been able to eat and I lost count of the number of times I was sick today. Evens out yesterday I guess.

Linda - I almost feel sorry for him at what he is doing to her.Gotta be really desperate to treat an elderly person like this.

Amy - Moving her trailer would be no easy task. 45 years in one spot and a roof built over it. Not impossible mind you but would take some doing.

Tracy - thank you.

Thank you all. I really appreciate the support.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Oh Lisa, I am so sorry you didn't get some closure yesterday, I guess April will be here soon enough but still.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, what comes around goes around and this guy will get his. Can you maybe have Gram's mail just held at the post office for you to pick up and take to her weekly? Frankly, I hope this guy is the one that gets run over in the road but I guess that isn't very nice of me.

Just hang in there. I can only imagine what a job that would be to move that trailer. I guess he could pay you the money to get her a new trailer to put somewhere else but then why should she have to move at this stage of her life?

Maybe we need to have a Wish Meet out your way and all us ladies can over there and show this guy what a bunch of irritated women can do!

I hope you are feeling better today and not still sick with nerves.

 

[toystoryduo]

Oh, Lisa. I am so sorry that another continuance has been issued. I know that you and Gram want to get this matter settled as soon as possible.

I can't believe how this neighbor is acting. Doesn't this man realize that he is going to reap what he is sowing? I am so sorry that you and Gram have to go through this, Lisa. I am sending lots and lots of prayers your way.

Please be sure and take good care of you, my friend. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Lisa, just stopping by to give you a cyber hug (here ya go) and to wish you a happy weekend! I hope you all get some time to relax and unwind this weekend after what I know was a very difficult week.

How is April feeling with her pregnancy?

Keep hanging in there, you have been so strong through all of this, I am really taking my hat off to you for holding up so well. I'd be a mess!

 

[eyor44]

Thank you both so much. Y'all are the greatest.

Amy - she is having her mail held right now until we see exactly what he does with the fence. Come on down and get with the group who wants to tell him a thing or two. What he doesn't realize is you don't mess with Southern Baptist people who have lived together forever. She has friends in many places. We have tried to be fair, but.......

One of my guys at work happen to be at my desk when I received a phone call from someone going "What the heck is going on at Gram's?" He wasn't aware of the situation but after I gave him a very brief synopis he said "Sounds like someone needs an A$$ whoppin" This a rather large, very quiet guy. Very laid back and very sweet. But he wasn't happy that someone made me unhappy. I asked if he was offereing and he said "don't tempt me". I have a large group of guys who would dearly love this guy's name and address, but I don't want any of them to go to jail. I know they wouldn't hurt him, just put him in his place. I am trying so hard to take the high road here, not to stoop to his level, but Amy.....I had a very similar thought as you. and then gave myself a stern talking to.

Tracy, he isn't a Christian. He doesn't believe in any of it. I feel pity for him and feel very sorry for his children with the kind of example he is setting. It is a very sad situation all the way around. That someone's desperation for money would take them this far and to be so cruel to an elderly person. He is making her a prisoner in her own home.

 

[eyor44]

I have the kids in Jackson this weekend, 3 hours from where we live. We came up last night and will go home tomorrow evening. John is attending a goal keepers camp and Aly and I spent the day together. She has swam in the hotel pool twice, we went shopping and spent some quiet time in the room. John loved the first day of camp and is now resting while watching a movie. Normally DH brings John to soccer stuff, but he had a bowling tournament on the Coast, so he is there while we are here. It has been very nice so far. This area is perfect for a weekend. Tons of shops and restaurants in this immediate area. Supposed to be a theater near here, but I haven't found it yet. Not sure what Aly and I will do tomorrow. There is one section of the stores we haven't been to yet and there is also a zoo about 20 minutes away from where we are staying.

It has been nice to get away for a couple of days, but I can't stop thinking about what is going on at home. But I'm not in vacation mode. Other than DD's new clothes, which she has to have. I have been watching my $$ and have my coupons with me as usual. The room has a frig and microwave so we brought drinks and snacks with us. Doing good I think.

 

[toystoryduo]

Sending prayers for Gram and for you, my friend.

It sounds like a fun weekend! How did you do with your shopping?

Hope you have a wonderful day!

 

[eyor44]

Thanks for asking Tracy. Shopping went good and at first I was thinking I spend way too much, but after I looked at everything again, maybe just a little too much. But with the exception of the shorts we got at Target, everything else was on sale at 40-50% off, plus I had coupons for Penneys.

For our weekends, DH and I both came in under budget which will help cover what I spent on DD.

And for real exciting news, my electric bill came yesterday and it is less than half from what last months was. I was hoping to have cut 1/3 off but I did better than 1/2. Even with running the heater at night. I am hoping this month will be even better as historically it is our lowest month, but I was one happy camper last night.

We had dance last night, but didn't get as much time in as usual. We did begin working on the Mother/Daughter dance and that was fun.

Amy, you asked about April earlier. I'm sorry I failed to answer you. She is doing great in her pregnancy. We are still being cautious and aren't telling many people, but so far, so good. Her Dad on the other hand isn't doing well. He is not tolerating his feedings (feeding tube) and is sick a lot. They have cut them back, but the nurse said he isn't getting the nutrients he needs. He has lost a lot of weight and is beginnning to draw up some. April is doing an amazing job caring for him, but I think his body is at the beginning of the shut down process. She was aware that this would happen eventually and is at peace with it.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Lisa, I am so glad you got away for the weekend, you needed that. And it sounds like you got some good deals!

April's life really illustrates the cycle of living, as she cares for her father in his last stage of life and has a little baby growing inside. She has a lot on her plate, tell her some prayers for Colorado are being said for her!

I like your co worker's idea, a good A$$ whoppin might be just what Mean Man needs. Nothing else seems to work.

 

[toystoryduo]

Great job on the shopping and on the electric bill! Saving money is AWESOME!!!

Hope you have a wonderful day today!