Support

I’ve been dealing with the ups and downs of an 85 year old woman (my grandma) for the past two days, and I have something to say about it. And because I really love making lists, here is a list of my observations and thoughts.

1. The people she raised have abandoned her. The only people who call her more than once a year are her daughters (pain killer addicts) and her granddaughter (my aunt, who is having quite a few problems of her own.) Why hasn’t she heard from the niece she raised? Why hasn’t my own father (her grandson) stopped by on his way home from work? (Rhetorical question- he would never do anything like that.) This family is made of FAIL.
2. People she isn’t even related to see her more. My mom’s family sees her more than any other family member of hers. And my mom’s family is in no way related to my grandma, except through my sister and me. Like I mentioned above, she will get phone calls, but no visits. Ever.
3. I get to deal with all of the frustration and anger from her, while they sit around their own houses not even thinking of her. I get to deal with the 1 a.m. wake ups when she falls out of bed. I deal with the incontinence she sometimes has. I deal with cleaning the house. I take her to the doctor. I take her grocery shopping. I never hear from anyone except my sister (who is a big HUGE help) and my mom’s family, asking if they can help out.

Thanks, Holly family. (minus 2, my aunt & sister) A phone call doesn’t hurt, and a visit wouldn’t be so bad. Not because you need something, but because you WANT TO VISIT.

Sapulpa Hospital – St. John’s Hospital

My great grandma recently had a fall in the Wal-Mart Parking lot, and fell right on her face. She was pretty banged up, and the ambulance was called and she was taken to the hospital. I was just getting off of work at the Aquarium and got the call, so went to the hospital in Sapulpa. She was fine, coherent, and talking, but they kept her overnight for monitoring.

The next day I got off of work early and went to the hospital. Grandma was in a lot of pain, but they weren’t giving her any pain medicine. Apparently it wasn’t time yet. They told us they were going to release her, and 3 and a half hours later, she was released. Still no pain medicine. As we were checking out tears began to fall out of my grandma’s eyes. She was in so much pain. (If you know her, you know she never complains about pain or almost anything else.)

Why is it that they couldn’t give her anything for pain for the ride home before she was discharged? It’s very unthoughtful (to put it nicely).

Another Complaint I have about this hospital- When they cleaned the “wound” around her eye and put the skin glue on her, they didn’t seem to clean it very well. It’s been oozing pus for some time. I have to clean it every night. Since it’s been 2 weeks since she fell she’s healed quite nicely, and there’s only a deep spot left on her eyebrow left to heal. She wanted me to take the glue off, so I did, and there was something in there that was covered in I-don’t-know-what. HEY DOCTOR, YOU MISSED SOMETHING. Using my handy first-aid skills, I cleaned Grandma’s eyebrow up, put a bandage over it, and will change it every 6 hours or so.

Basically, I’m pissed off at the Sapulpa Hospital for the 1,057,834,057th time in my life.

Dad Fail AGAIN

My dad is still at it.

My sister turned 18 a week ago, and he hasn’t called her. I’d like to remind him that this is her senior year, and he is missing pretty much everything. And that sucks.

It’s pissing me off, it’s pissing my sister off, and it’s pissing other family members off. Why isn’t our parent communicating with us?

Hey dad- Graduation is 28 May. You might want to show up.

Dad Fail

I’m frustrated. Let me tell you part of what’s making me frustrated:

I haven’t heard from my father since July. Last time I saw him was my high school graduation, and that’s also the last time my sister had any contact with him. We didn’t hear from him this whole holiday week. It seems to me that the role of parent is one to call the kids and see how they are doing, not the other way around. However, last time I spoke to him, I called him.

This mainly bothers me because this is my sister’s senior year, and the guy never went to see her be a Drum Major at one of the football games, he hasn’t called to see how her year is going, see what her college plans are, etc. If he reads this, it may be the first that he hears that she made the NCDA All- Region Honor Band this year. (Yeah, she did, on Bass Clarinet.) Now that I think about it, it was usually me who called him my senior year. Maybe because I wanted that relationship. I’m not sure. But now? He’s not around, therefore there is no relationship. It’s unfortunate, and kind of sucky, but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected any more from him. He has the best intentions that he NEVER follows through with.

Dracula

Once again, I’ll do a review of both the book and the movie.

The novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker is a classic. It’s written in a journal form, with the narrative voice passing from person to person. The characters are likeable enough, although the sexism in the book kind of took me off guard. (I’m no femnist, but why can’t women help hunt for a vampire, or hear stories about vampires?) Any scene that Count Dracula appears in can get very creepy. Actually, any scene with any vampires can get creepy. There are scenes of death, of love, etc. This book has it all. Its a fantastic novel, although sometimes it can be very slow moving and hard to get through. But stay with it, and you’ll enjoy it.

It begins with Jonathon Harker on his way to the Castle Dracula in Transylvania. He notices how superstitious the Transylvanians are, and it begins to make him uneasy. Upon reaching the castle, and meeting the Count, Harker’s tension and uneasiness heighten. After being held “captive” for around a month, Harker learns that Dracula is unnatural, perhaps a vampire, and also meets 3 female vampires, who actually nearly drink his blood. Upon returning to England he is placed in a hospital for a mental breakdown. His fiancee goes to visit him. After this, this pair and a group of their friends become involved in a mission to destroy Dracula, before he can destroy them and all they love.

The movie “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” isn’t really that great. I wouldn’t recommend it. The only reason I watched it was for Anthony Hopkins (who did pretty good) and Gary Oldman (who kind of let me down). Keannu Reeves as Jonathon Harker made me uncomfortable with his horrible, HORRIBLE British accent. I’m not even putting  a trailer on here. It’s just not good.

Example of the Thoughts That Run Through My Head

I know sometimes people say they wish they could hear what I was thinking. I don’t think they do. In the last week I’ve been writing down random thoughts that I have, and here are the best:

I wish this stupid wireless internet wasn’t so slow.

I am going to kill that guy. (My sociology professor.)

I hate sociology. Hardcore.

What is that girl doing?!

Oh my God, he’s wearing glasses like Anthony Hopkins did in “Change of Seasons”! Too bad he’s fat and ugly, whereas Hopkins was not. Thank God.

I wish murder was legal because those girls would be dead.

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I should probably read this book before I buy another one…

Did that just happen? (I saw a guy fall down some stairs.)

If he keeps going on about Social Security I’m going to explode.

What the f***. Stop.

OH MY GOD THAT GUY LOOKED LIKE MICHAEL PALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (A guy drove by and I freaked out a little. He looked like Michael Palin. )

Anyway, with stuff that random/ violent, you probably wouldn’t want to hear what I’m thinking. because either I’m thinking about how I wish you would stop talking, change the subject, etc. Or I’ve let my mind wander and I’m thinking about other things like Monty Python, a book, traveling, etc.

Family Ties

I have a huge family. Seriously. My parents are divorced, and both have remarried. My stepdad has 3 other siblings. And though my sister and I are not blood related to them, they treat us just the same. I know that other people aren’t as fortunate in their step families.

I think most people know my stepdad and I do not get along. We never really have. However his family has taken me in, and they all treat me as though I was born into their family and didn’t come in to it as a headstrong 4 1/2 year old. His younger sister and her family came in to town from where they live (which is about an hour or so away I think) and took me out to dinner. They didn’t have to invite me, or even tell me that they would be in town, but they did. I can’t tell you in words how grateful I am that they did that. For dinner I usually eat something cooked in a microwave, or a pb&j sandwich. Steak was a great alternative. Plus I got to spend time with a family that knows how to have fun and have a good laugh. Except they’re still stuck on Napoleon Dynamite quotes… I’ll have to work on that.