Message board topic:

Well, everybody's life took a bit of a sudden shift this morning.  The grandkids have been staying with their Dad and his girlfriend's family so they could go to school outside of Sedalia.  This morning we were supposed to take Karly to be a cheerleader at one of their school's basketball games, while their Dad took her little brother to play in another town farther away.  Karly got dropped off here and probably wasn't here more than 10 minutes when we got a phone call.

Apparently, their Dad and his girlfriend got into an argument on the way through town, she grabbed the steering wheel and ran them off the highway, hitting an electric pole and a car parked at a place where I get my tires changed.  The girlfriend called a friend and was gone in minutes.  Her little brother was complaining of his head hurting so an ambulance was there checking him out, and the police had given him a stuffed Spiderman to hold onto.  Of course, we ran right down to pick him up.  He came out with bandages all around his head but apparently nothing serious.  Their Dad was fine.  Their car is now junk.

They had been living with the girlfriend's family and in about 20 minutes they got word that they were no longer welcome there. So, the kids, and their stuff, will be here again.  I'm not sure what their Dad will do.

Myself, I'm OK, but I'm so seriously sleep deprived I'm only functioning at half speed.  Worried too much about too many things and when I can sleep, it's never for more than a few hours.  Still, you gotta do what you gotta do.  A friend recommended I try Benadryl to sleep, and I might try that.  John

I am sure the kids will be happy to be back with you, no?

Sorry it happened that way and the scare though.

I use melatonin to help me sleep. I do not like general sleep drugs, makes me feel drunk.

The kids are pretty badly spoiled here.  Just cleaning up after them is an extra chore.  It's taken some serious adjustments for everybody.  My "man cave" is essentially taken over.  I have to borrow it for about 20 minutes a day to work up new music.  Places had to be found for all their stuff.  I've got a heck of a lot more dishes to do and Cheri has a lot more laundry to do.

Cheri had to take them around today to enroll them in 2 different schools, get their records transferred, and now she has to get up early to have them ready for school and to drive one of them in.  She's not looking forward to that.  Of course, we go through a lot more food and various expenses like clothes.

The biggest change for the kids I'm sure, is that their Dad and his girlfriend were constantly fighting.  Here, that just doesn't happen.  I can't speak for them, but that would make a huge difference to me.

I forgot you mentioned melatonin for sleep.  I used to keep Benadryl around because I was allergic to the bite of a certain common spider, and I used to get them once in a while.  Benadryl would bring down swelling and itching and was a big help.  I think maybe I've built up a resistance to the bites as it hasn't happened to me in maybe 40 years...so far.  John

I've had to adopt a new strategy of feeding Taylor.  I've seen a slight increase in the number of other strays eating her food if I just leave it out.  Now, if Taylor isn't there waiting, or doesn't come out of her little house, I'm not leaving any food out.  A couple of days ago, I didn't see Taylor at all.  That always worries me but I didn't leave any food out.  The next day, there she was, ready and waiting.  Taylor was there again yesterday when I got ready to leave so of course, she got food.  I played down on the Lake last night and despite the cold, the place was packed.  I got home about 1:30 AM and at first, I didn't see Taylor.  Before I got everything in the house though, there she was braving the cold.  She got another cup of food, more than she could eat at once, I'm sure.

I talked about having so much trouble getting to sleep lately.  Just too much stress and worry.  The other night, getting out of bed because I couldn't sleep, I looked up Benadryl and was kind of shocked at what I found.  Taking it between 3 days and 2 weeks straight, you can build a tolerance to it and it won't work anymore.  Worse yet, if you take it over 65 years old, there's an increased risk of dementia!  Well that's all I need, to get more stupid.  So, I may use what I have and stop it.  Going to go looking for melatonin, as you suggested.  Last night I went to sleep faster than usual.  But then, I woke up after about 3 hours.  Back to sleep another 2 hours and Cheri woke me up with a minor medical problem, (very minor) so I lay in bed another half hour, unable to get back to sleep.  Now I'm up for the day.  OK, got to do something pretty soon.  It's frustrating to be so tired and still not able to sleep.  John

You should put up a bell with a string outside and train Taylor to pull the bell. (laugh)

 

Sorry you woke and Cheri had a minir issue.

I wake a lot over the night. Usually 2 times a night. As much as I would like to sleep through till it was time to get up, that never happens.

You can get Melatonin at most grocery stores, drug stores or online. I get it from Costco (yes, a mega bottle), Read up online as to the best amount to take.

I have Benadryl here, but keep it to help if I eat something with nuts by mistake, though it is a very poor substitute for an epipen, but at the cost of the epipens.... I have 2 old ones that expired 10 years ago. Wonder if they would do anything?

Funny you should mention a bell.  Cheri has one hanging right outside the door!  My back door is really noisy though and she can hear it from her house.  Usually she hides close by and starts meowing before I even see her.  If I'm gone late at night she can see and hear my car backing in and comes out to meet me.  She knows she'll get extra food.  She ate a lot today.  Maybe getting ready for the nasty, super-cold weather coming.

Cheri's minor medical issues are very minor, but it really helps if I help her out and it only takes a minute or 2, but sometimes it means waking up at odd times.

I have no idea whether those 10 year old epipens would work, but I'd wonder about it.  I don't know of anything I'm allergic to except those tiny little spiders, and I think it's well over 40 years since I had a breakout, and since they're so common, I really figure I built up a tolerance to them.  John