cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Share your quitting journey

11/26 Finally, The Vulture Has Flown!

minihorses
Member
3 34 207

No this isn't about quit dates or days.  This is about one of this biggest stressors of my life coming.  My mother will be here Tuesday afternoon.  We decided to fly her here from Florida since we haven't seen her this year.  She's 89 years old and yes, every moment we can spend with her is precious time especially for holidays.  Last year hubby and I left the guys home and went down for her 88th birthday.  She is a feisty old broad and she can run circles around most of us.  She's wanted to see the kids so Thanksgiving sounded like a good time to have her here, if there is such a good time. But...

Her arrival makes all of us go into high alert and setting up the battle plan.  We go into hyper-vigilant pick up and clean mode.  The cleaning is the worst.  After our lovely conversation Saturday where I thought telling her even something like we're getting the house washed soon (one of her many bitches) and I was told flat out I was wrong to get it done at this time of year, I am majorly STRESSED!  The guys have done soooo much to get this place in some sort of presentable shape for her arrival.  We've never had 2 nickels to rub together so the house repairs that should have happened years ago haven't and probably won't get done any time soon so I'm thankful for their hard work. 

Preface to this section: I love animals, all kinds, big, tiny, wild, domestic, you name it.  I have been honored to be the mom to some of the most amazing pets over the years including dogs, cats, parrots (big and small with my favorite being my Umbrella Cockatoo), rabbits, reptiles, ducks, horses... I think that covers most of them.  So please understand that before reading the next part!

To top that with a cherry my niece, her husband, 2 young boys and their DOG are stopping for a visit on their way home Saturday from spending Thanksgiving with his family at their winter place.  I haven't seen them in 6 years at least and haven't even seen their youngest child.  Of course Grandma will be here too so I couldn't exactly say no.  I'm sure they're going to be, let's say unhappy, in their surroundings to say the least.  Ok, did I mention they are bringing their damn DOG?  I have 4 cats!!! I only agreed because of the circumstances.  If that dog lifts its' leg once because of the smell of cat pee I'll launch that little sucker off my boot all the way to the horse barn!  And if any of my cats pee because it was here I'll be livid!!

My poor boys, although 19 and 26, are gritting their teeth for "G-Day" too.  Remember, my mom is 89. She doesn't get the 'modern' world and she doesn't get the non June Cleaver family and she absolutely doesn't get how I ended up raising my kids because I didn't do it like she did.  She doesn't understand why I couldn't get help for my oldest with Asperger's Syndrome. She doesn't get why my family dynamic isn't the same as her's.  And she sure as sugar doesn't get how my Bipolar disorder affects me. 

So STRESS, STRESS, STRESS! is the keyword of the day.  Have I wanted a cigarette? N.O.P.E.  Do I want a cigarette? N.O.P.E.  Will I want a cigarette?  N.O.P.E.  Do I want to strangle a coconut straight off the tree hard enough to have the milk squirt in my face?  YEP.  But smoking?  Not even a passing thought, except the one that can't believe I ever wanted it before.  Would it help any of the above? N.O.P.E.  Would I do it just to piss off my mother? mayyyyb..... N.O.P.E., not even for that half second of glorious rebellion before the lecture started. 

I thank all of you ladies and gents for listening to my lengthy tales of stress and woes for the upcoming holiday week.  I'm sure it'll be a mostly good visit after the first territory standoff where I tell her this is MY house, MY rules, and she runs it her way anyway and the four of us just fall in line behind her with our tails tucked between our legs.  N.O.P.E. 

Nov. 20, 2018  1:45 pm:

Houston, the Eagle has landed.  Repeat, the Eagle has landed.   God save us all!

Have a great week and Thanksgiving! Hope to be able to come out here this week.

Julie

34 Comments
About the Author
I had smoked 35 years. I consider myself 'certifiably crazy' (jokingly) and anyone that knows me can attest to that : ) I am a certified Reiki practioner, I love heavy metal music even though I'm over 50; animals of all kinds and will rescue and rehab (if possible) any beastie I come across; I love raising ducks; riding horses; embroidery, and of course sarcasm. I am looking forward to the rest of my life as a non-smoker.