Before and after Easter

I seemed to have lost last week.  It didn’t help mind you that on Monday morning I woke up with a stinking cold.  It definitely wasn’t flu but more irritating than the runny nose was the brain fog.  It made even making the smallest of decisions painful.  In the afternoon I popped into the Mobility shop in Newport to get a few things to help Phil’s dad.  This is my first experience with incontinence and the man in the shop wasn’t that helpful.  Still, I came away with incontinence pants, pads and a waterproof cover for dad’s armchair.  These few items cost 45 quid but if they help then the cost is irrelevant.

Phil went down to see his mum and dad on Tuesday.  I sent him down with a chicken casserole that  I’d made the day before to save mum from cooking.  Phil said his mum liked it but the smell of it made Phil’s dad feel sick so he just ate his pudding.  I was expecting social services to call round to do a home assessment but they didn’t turn up at the time they said they would.  I phoned them again and they said they would be out on Thursday. 

On Wednesday I drove down to Surrey for an overnight stop over with Christine my ex boss.  Paul was away playing golf and she was keen for me to see their new house.  I had cancelled once before and did think about cancelling again because of my cold but I thought this would be rude.  Luckily the M1 and M25 were fairly clear so I had a good run down.  Unfortunately the heating in the car made my cold worse and I was coughing and spluttering like crazy.  It was nice to catch up with Christine but I had wished that I’d just gone down for lunch. The dogs remembered me which was sweet but it was a long visit and obvious to me that Christine and I really don’t have a whole lot in common these days.  Friendships have to be nurtured but sometimes you can’t go back in time. Sometimes you need to fast forward.

I had a good run home on Thursday and was back in time for lunch, lamb chops and mash, one of my favourites.  After lunch, Phil phoned mum to see how she’d got on with social services only to find out that once again they hadn’t been.  I saw red and got on the phone and gave them what for.  It did the trick and later in the afternoon they went round with some equipment and the promise of daily carers starting on Good Friday.  The carer came round and George had his first body wash since coming out of hospital.

We have had a rather indulgent Easter in spite of Phil’s dad’s failing health.  I left home at half past seven on Saturday morning and got to Melton by 9am which was fairly good going seeing as I went the back way.  Phil’s mum was okay, a bit tearful and obviously exhausted from disturbed nights.  I have to say I was shocked at how much George had deteriorated since I last saw him.  He was totally reliant on the walking frame and not able to get to the toilet or his bedroom without mum’s help.  He cannot even feed himself.  While I was there, the carer came and gave him a wash.  It is a help for Phil’s mum and at least she gets to see someone every day albeit for a short while. It is so very sad and I felt so guilty leaving the pair of them to fend for themselves.

It was Sue’s birthday on Sunday and she decided to celebrate with a house party.  Steve & Jan picked us up at the flat and we were the first guests to arrive on Saturday night.  No surprise, Sue was totally organised and ready for her guests.  It was an unusual party in that lots of different people that didn’t really know anyone but I think it worked.  I had a good time anyway and so did Phil.  The food looked great, just a shame that I forgot to eat anything.

One of Sue’s friends Tom, decided that he was going to be waxed in aid of the British Heart Foundation.  It was interesting that only the female guests went upstairs to watch and to be game, I did a couple of strips and quite enjoyed inflicting pain.  It was a bit uncomfortable watching Jenna waxing Tom’s nipple especially as he was dressed in the smallest of white briefs but it was for charity and I think he raised £200.  Well done Tom but now I know for sure that you are totally bonkers!

I think most guests left around midnight but no surprise, Phil & I along with Tom & Lynne were the last guests to leave.  Phil had a tidy up while me and Lynne put Sue to bed;  we shared a taxi home and I think it was 4am by the time me and Phil climbed into bed.  We really could have done without the clocks going forward but you only have one life and sometimes you have to live it.  I tried to phone Sue to see if she needed help clearing up but it went straight to answerphone so I pulled on some clothes and went round anyway.  Lynne was already there and Sue had already started the cleaning up.  The damage wasn’t too bad considering she’d had 60 guests in her house. I did some bleaching and some hovering and then went back home to shower.

Phil was feeling very sorry for himself and it was like raising the dead but somehow I managed it and were back round Sue’s for about quarter to one.  I told Sue she was mad when she inviting us for Sunday lunch with her family but she choose to ignore me.  We opened the wine deciding hair of the dog was the order of the day.  Sue’s family turned up at half one and she somehow pulled off a lovely roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings for 10 people.  Phil helped a little in the kitchen and then Stuart and Matt helped clear up afterwards. 

It was great fun only spoilt a little by a phone call from Phil’s mum just before we ate lunch.  Apparently dad hadn’t been able to pee and she’d phoned the emergency doctor.  We phone mum at least 3 times a day to check up and I’d told her that we were at Sue’s yesterday afternoon.  The emergency doctor wanted dad to go to hospital but somehow mum got dad to pee and hospitalisation was avoided.  For now.  I fell asleep on the sofa after we got back from Sue’s and we had an early night but Phil couldn’t sleep even though he was knackered so he got up.  It’s a familiar pattern these days but not surprising with all the worry of mum and dad.

I could easily have been a couch potato yesterday but it was not to be because I had invited Harriet for lunch.  I did Harriet’s favourite roast chicken and I think it was okay. The afternoon was slob out with films on the sofa.  I do like to party but unfortunately it takes me days to recover.

It doesn’t work when I don’t blog for over a week because I have too much shit to write in one posting and I tend to go on and on, just like today.  Phil got up early this morning and being a good son has already left for Melton.  I got a few ready meals to take down because I think if George doesn’t eat then neither will Bet. I haven’t gone down although I did think about it.  I need to get my life in order, catch up with some domestics and get back into a normal routine.  Normal is good, right?