Thursday, December 4, 2008

Hum-Drum Updates

I Knee'd You, Part Two

Sir Gimps-a Lot Urban Dad is icing faithfully. And sleeping with a heating pad around his knee. You know you've been married a while when you find your husband asleep on the bed in sweats wearing half-eyes and with a heating pad around his sprained knee and you think he's the cutest thing ever.

The Gimpinator Urban Dad went for an MRI yesterday, limping out to the bus in the snow/rain combo that we had last night. He came back with a stack of films and an appointment to chat about them on Monday.

Win One For The Gimper Urban Dad then heroically handled getting Urban Kid 1's bath wrapped up. She'd been waiting patiently for him to return, turning ridiculously prunish in the meantime.

And he still insists on taking out the trash. God love 'im. You can imagine my protests.... ("you sure? ok, have fun!")

MIL
She's out of the hospital. She's now home, and BIL #1 is staying with her in order to help care for her. They can now drive each other batsh*t-crazy without taking the medical staff with them.

While BIL #2 was up there, they discovered a few things:

MIL can't figure out her remote on her TV... which she watches all day... so she calls someone to help her with it. At something like $160 a pop.

She can't figure out how to open her chimney for her fireplace, so she calls someone. Another $150 a pop.

She lives across the street from a ritzy hotel and has recruited a couple of the kids there to walk her dog and do some shopping for her. While BIL #2 was there, one of these kids came in with the dog at 3am, drunk. And boy was he surprised to find BIL #2 standing there!

BIL#1 went across the street to find out which kids were helping her out.... and to collect her credit card that she had given them.

The list goes on, but you get the idea. It's time to get MIL some assistance. But God help the poor soul actually hired to do it. She's already alienated BIL #1's wife, who does this kind of thing and went up there a few weeks ago to give it a crack.

City Living
Urban Dad & I have actually breathed the words....... said them out loud....... and it's entirely possible that we meant them. We have floated the idea of leaving Chicago someday. Nothing urgent yet -- maybe five years from now? But it's getting easier to consider the idea. We're just getting nickel-and-dime'd like crazy. We're getting our brains taxed out, but the city remains at least $200 million in the red. So bit by little bit, we start to wonder about diminishing returns and wonder what our next step might be someday down the road. I love Chicago. It's a great place for kids, even! But like any love, you have to separate the emotions from the facts and weigh your options.

That's it in our world! How's yours?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

No... I absolutely 100% you ever leaving Chi-town! I had to leave and I go to confession almost everyday for it (that is a lie, but I do feel bad)

If you leave... who will watch the lake?

Anonymous said...

I meant that I absoutely 100% DISAGREE with you ever leaving Chi-town! See what happens when you leave? You forget how to form sentences!

Laura said...

Though some of this is funny..it scares me to think of how people take advantage of elderly people.
I try to keep an eye on my parents, but it's hard.
(Your MIL gave someone her credit card?)
Oy.

Karen said...

You know some places have rules about running into deficits like that. You should look into it before you move. And sales tax refunds at the end of the year are nice too - ask me how I know ;) I hope the UDad heals quickly.

chicago_mom said...

I understand about the Chicago problem. We sit online looking simultaneously at homes in the farthest burb ever (like Kansas) and homes in the city. We love the city sometimes (liket the month leading up to christmas) but I know what you mean about the money and how it would just be easier to live elsewhere...would you go to St Louis? Or the burbs?