Been absent from ST for a bit due to some unfortunate circumstances. For starters my car broke down and had to be taken to the shop. It took the mechanics forever to figure out what the problem was so I had to use DW’s car all week which meant I had to provide taxi service for everyone including one of DW’s friends who has MS (Multiple Sclerosis). I’ll talk about him in a minute.

In other news, a close friend of ours died. I only knew him as long as I have known DW but DW has known him for years. DW is extremely distraught. I admit, that as I write this, I feel my own tears well up. His kids are the same ages as BS and BD and we would often meet up for birthdays and backyard BBQs. Our kids would play together while we would sit, drink, laugh and just enjoy each others company. I didn’t know him as well as DW did, and if I am deeply saddened at his passing, I can only imagine what DW is going through. DW was asked by her deceased friend’s wife if she would like to speak at the funeral. DW wrote a little something, but on the day of the funeral, she just broke down and couldn’t. DW’s friend (the one with MS) came in from out of town for the funeral and we put him up for a while. He’s a good guy but his condition is worsening with each passing year. He can still walk but anything that requires fine motor skills is becoming difficult for him. For instance, he can’t button his shirts or tie his shoe-laces. In addition, he didn’t have appropriate clothes for our weather so I had to take him shopping at Walmarts so he could buy himself a jacket at least. I didn’t mind chauffeuring him and looking after him, but with us only having one car at our disposal, my time has been severely taxed. Every day this week I have been arriving to work late and leaving early. That is why I am here at work on a Saturday trying to catch up.

*Big Sigh*

That being said, here are a few highlights that occurred over the holidays:

We had a New Year’s Eve celebration at our house. DW and I busted our tails to get the house cleaned and ready for the party. Her in-laws called the day before to ask when they should come. Without thinking or conferring with me, DW says “Why don’t you come over for supper and spend the night here?”. In-laws accept the offer. DW tells me and I reply “That’s great DW, but you do realize that A) The guest room and SS’s room have to be cleaned and neither have been touched in 6 months and I had already done all the grocery shopping”. DW says she’ll take care of all that, and I say fine. Unfortunately for DW, she never realized the state of SS’s room. The kid had a collection of empty coke cans, candy wrappers and other junk,….I have been after DW to get her to get SS to clean his room but to SS “Cleaning” his room means; making his bed and shoving crap underneath the bed. DW worked into the wee hours of the night on the 30th trying to tidy SS’s room before she broke down and said she needs my help. The room was in a serious need of an overhaul. I tell her that the person who should be helping her clean SS’s room is *dumroll* SS! Oh how convenient that he is not here and we will only see him after New Year’s. So I refuse. DW starts crying saying that she’ll take me out to see “The Hobbit” and that she promises she’ll “stay on top” of SS to keep his room tidy if I help. I couldn’t say no to that. So I help out. I even fix one of the shelves.