Is it over?

Winter, that is. I sure hope so. It certainly feels like it. Finally! We did lots of outdoor stuff this weekend. Jennifer and I pruned 15 apple trees and 3 pear trees, I cut down alot of brush, raked a little, and hauled branches to the compost heap. Lindsey "helped", too.
The crocuses are blooming, the lilac bush has buds on it, dafodills are sprouted, the song birds are back. I think it's really spring!
Now all I have to do is cut alot more brush, pick up the leaves I didn't get last fall, clean up a winter's worth of dog s#%*, trim the willow trees, plant a garden, set up Lindsey's sand box, mow and mow and mow... oh,yeah, then there's 6 or 8 cords of firewood to cut for next winter.
I love my yard and I love working in it. As long as I'm here, I'll never be bored

Night shift

I did my first overnight at the halfway house last night. 11 to 7. I worked overnights at an inpatient rehab a long time ago and hated it. But that was full time, this is one night a week, I think I can handle that. The structure is pretty lax at this place, especially on weekends, so the first couple hours I spent playing pool and BS-ing with the residents. The rest of the night was really boring. I made a couple of head counts, read a book, and tried to stay awake. Staying awake was the hardest part. I ended up making a pot of coffee at 5 AM. My relief came in at 10 till 7 and I went home shortly after. I took a couple of 2 hour naps during the day. I'm still a little tired but will stay up so I can sleep tonight.
Tomorrow is my first day home with Lindsey. We have a Dr.'s appointment in Albany with her pediatric pulmonologist in the morning. After that we're touring another daycare on the way home. Jennifer goes to work after that and then it's Lindsey and Daddy!!

In memory of Mom

"Look at that old photograph, is it really you? Smilin' like a baby full of dreams"

"smilin, aint so easy now"

It's really hard not to be sad writing this post. Mom's been gone two years today. I've been thinking about her alot this week. We were angry with each other alot years ago. She wasn't a perfect parent, I wasn't a perfect son. Neither of us could accept that. She mellowed with age...I got sober, God brought us back together. Part of my recovery program is making amends to people I've hurt. I had no idea how much I hurt my parents until I had a child of my own. I knew I pissed her off, and at the time, I was ok with that, but I had no idea the pain I had caused her. When I was going through the same kind of pain over my own son, I understood. We were able to talk about it, cry about it, laugh about it, let it go, and forgive each other. When she died, I had no regrets about our relationship.

"nothin's simple as it seems"

Mom was one of the first to see Lindsey when we brought her home. She knew about the situation with my son and Jessica. Not the gory details but enough. She asked right away, "Are you going to keep her?" We didn't really know at the time how it was going to turn out. When she was leaving she said to my wife, " I hope you keep her!" She really loved that baby. I"m so glad they had a little time together. Lindsey recognizes Granny's picture. I know she doesn't remember her but she'll always know who she was.

We kept her, Mom

Legal B & E

With the help of a Deputy Sheriff and my 30 month old daughter, I just broke into my own house. I had just gotten home with Lindsey. I put her in the house and was in the mudroom feeding the dogs when I heard a faint "click". She had turned the deadbolt and locked me out. My keys were in my coat pocket which was in the house. I tried to get her to unlock it but her little fingers weren't strong enough. I called my wife, (she was on her way to Syracuse, sans key) who told me to call the police. I apologetically told the dispatcher what had happened and a patrol was sent. Eventually we decided that if I could get into the screen porch, I could open the sliding glass door. I popped out a screen and climbed in on the porch but the door was secured with a board in the bottom track. I knocked on the glass and got Lindsey's attention, "Pick up the stick, honey. Please, for Daddy, pick up the stick for Daddy." And she did. I was in. The deputy just smiled and said "Bye bye Lindsey", shook my hand and left. The whole thing was over in about a half hour but time crawls when I'm panicking. It seemed like half a day. No harm, no foul, Lindsey is scattering her toys around the house as if nothing happened at all. My little accomplice, what a handful she's going to be!

Easily replaced

I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly things went at the Social Security Administration office today. A prospective employer asked for my social security card and I could not find it. Jennifer printed an application for me from the website which I filled out and brought to the Cronin Rd office. The instructions said I needed a birth record, passport, and driver's license. I have no passport and had given my birth certificate to another agency. I was prepared for a bureaucrat to tell me I needed more paperwork (and drive to Corinth and pay 10 bucks for another birth certificate). Instead, the gentleman only wanted my license and the completed application. He said the new card should be in my mailbox in 7 to 10 days. He also gave me a letter stating that I had applied and a new card was in transit to show the prospective employer. Now I know the process is supposed to be this simple, but, in my experience, it rarely is.
Kudos to the Queensbury district office!

Afterward, I went to get a haircut and I told the barber that I was looking for work. She told me if it ever got to where I needed a haircut and had no money, come in anyway and she'd give me one. I don't expect to have to take her up on it but I thought it was a very nice offer. My business card is on her bulletin board and she told me she would steer people to me. I'll take all the help I can get. Thank's, Marylee!