Family Caregiver Info and Family C.A.R.E.

Never wait to make someone you love happy

2009-11-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

Dad and I have got the same sort of perspective on the holidays that me and mom had for years now. Rather than get presents and hide them away, waiting to give them on a particular day, we give the presents early so that they can be enjoyed rather than rat hole them away for a day that might now come along in time.

It is a lesson I learned the value of the hard way. Mom and I went to the Salvation Army not long before she passed away, just days before in fact, and I found a lovely dresser top candy dish there. I knew she would love it, and spent more than I should have to buy it for her for her and dad's upcoming anniversary. When I got out to the car I admitted I had got her a present, did she want it now or in a few weeks? She opted to get it then and loved it. It sat on the shelf by her bed, where it still sets today. Mom never would have seen it had I waited for her and dads anniversary.

That taught me to adore every day and not to hoard stuff I have bought for people just because someone said it should be given to them on a certain day that some guy hundreds of years ago decided sounded good.

So, I bought dad some presents the other day, including a good foam cushion for his wheelchair and a Snuggie. I can't say I am entirely impressed with the Snuggie, but the fleece in the thing is worth the price I paid for it.

The other night dad got me my big Christmas present from him. We had to run to the store for my brother and went on out to Lowes where Dad bought me the scroll saw that I had shown him a few days before. A Hitachi scroll saw that the first thing I did with it was make him an eagle cutout plaque.

I have discovered that I love working with the scroll saw, it is just as relaxing as working with a sewing machine, but the "quilt" is made on wood rather than out of fabric. Which I think I should try making a wood quilt just to see how it would work out. that could be very kewl. A wood coasters style table cover, wall hanging, or carpet type deal with scroll saw patterns on it.

I'll love the scroll saw just as dearly as the table saw and router that mom had got me before she passed away and want to build a good workroom where I can use them to make cabinetry and furniture and all kinds of things.

Unexpected memories stirred by common stuff

2009-10-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

It is amazing just how sneaky memories can be, how they can be triggered by the oddest of things. I have been being very careful in my spending, so had not bought paper towels since before mom passed away - until a few days ago. Then after I got home I did not open them... not until this evening. When I opened them I could not help but think about how the last time I had paper towels in the kitchen, mom had been alive. It was one of so very many small things that suddenly trigger thinking about her and how much I wish she was still here. Even a year later, such thoughts are hard to push away when they hit.

Senate Votes Down Public Option on Health Care Plan

2009-09-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

News just said that the damn Senate voted down the public option for the health care bill. That means that, as it has been all these years, the health insurance companies are going to screw over people like me who can not afford to buy health care and someday I will end up like my mom, putting off my own care to the point that my first trip to the ER is my last trip anywhere.

It pisses me off that the people who have $100,000 jobs and homes with "no worries" heaters, brand new state of the art kitchen stoves and a brand new Mercedes Benz in the drive are all throwing parties shrieking "We don't need that!" and screwing people like me, a hard working woman who is the proud daughter of a WWII vet who's family fled the Dust Bowl when he was a boy.

No.... what pisses me off is all the lies those people spread like wildfires to kill the health care reform. The newsman that had reported on it on CNN promised that he would look into what senators had got their bank accounts polished by health care companies before the vote and how they voted versus how others voted. I hope he pulls through on that promise, because I want to know who it is that runs this country - the people, the president, or the mega corporations that throw about money to keep themselves the big dog pissing on anyone that can not afford their private club fees.

Karisma Hotels Resorts

2009-09-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Located on secluded white-sand beaches on the Mexican Riviera Maya, the Karisma Hotels are a collection of resorts that offer luxury and relaxation to their guests.

The luxuries offered by their hotels make them ideal for Destination Weddings held on white sand beaches. When you are making plans you should note that the Karisma Hotels resorts include both adult only and family friendly resorts -

Adults Only:
El Dorado Royale Spa Resort
El Dorado Seaside Suites

Family-Friendly:
Azul Beach
Azul Blue

Naturalist:
Hidden Beach Resort

Some of the amenities to be found at the resorts include beach butlers, fine food, iced bartops, swim-up rooms, white gauze curtains around the beds, hot tubs, hammocks and more. Check out the listings for each resort for more details on which resort offers what services and for details on services offered exclusively by each resort, such as the milk baths and aromatic massages of the El Dorado Royale Resort, or the kid-sized bathrobes and coloring books offered by the family friendly Azul Beach Hotel.

Check out the link above for more information on each of the properties that Karisma Hotels resorts offers.

Physical Therapy Today

2009-09-15T07:01:00.001-07:00

Today is a physical therapy day for my dad, he actually finished up his initial physical therapy stuff last visit, but they scheduled him for 2 more weeks and this is the first visit of that added two weeks.

I think I am a glutton for punishment, since I scheduled these sessions in the mornings, latest one starts at noon, others are 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning. It coaxes me to get up earlier, so it is not exactly a bad thing, but oh man -- I am not a morning person. Feeling sickly sitting up trying to wake up here, already had to lay back down for almost an hour and still feel "bleck".

Cappuccino should help that some, I'm going to make me some here in a few minutes. Can't event think about eating anything this early, so will delay breakfast until my dad's up then make eggs and toast or something for the both of us.

Why do women wear makeup?

2009-09-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

I was asked my opinion on an interesting question by The Vahoo Info Connector blog...

"Why do women wear makeup?"

This seems like something that would have an easy answer, particularly when you take into account that mMakeup reaches a good 6,000 years back into history, ( Web MD has a good article on the history of makeup, as does Wikipedia.) but it really is not. There are many perspectives on this, enough that I decided that a survey was in order, so asked a few friends on AIM. A few examples of the replies I got were:

to hide
to conform
vanity in wanting to look pretty
social pressure to look pretty
to hide a cosmetic flaw (such as a port-wine stain or acne)

The The Vahoo Info Connector adds in a fear of being the only one in the room not wearing makeup.

I grew up not being exceptionally social, so I skipped the whole "have to apply the makeup!" phase. I rarely ever wear any makeup and when I do it is just a little for special occasions. Can not even tell I am wearing it really. I think that my early disinterest in wearing makeup has been a good thing, since it helped me to feel more confident in my own appearance, so that I did not grow up feeling I had to hide behind makeup before I left my room like some people I know now.

Then there are the celebrities that can't go out without their makeup, Vahoo mentions one of them on their article about The Real Reason Women Wear Makeup. Dove had a campaign a while back that showed young girls just how much touching up was done to make the cover models that beautiful. It was an effort to stop the girls trying to look so much like the beauty that was more often than not no more than airbrush touch-ups.

Healthcare Bill Lies

2009-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

The crud tossed back and forth about the Healthcare Bill just makes me mad, mad enough I should stop reading about it I suppose. Rather than present the facts and let people decide for themselves what is and is not a good idea, there are outright and blatant lies tossed up to scare people into a wild cattle stamped that will help to knock out the bill.

If the idiots that are trying to knock the bill down can not do anything more than lie about what it has in it, then why in the hell do they want to knock it down? What justifiable reasons are there for wanting to vote the bill down? Why don't they use those reasons instead of tossing up bullshit lies about what is in the bill?

Physical Therapy

2009-09-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

My dad is almost to the end of his scheduled physical therapy that his doctor sent him to to see if it would help him any. The therapists have said they see significant improvement since he went in the first few days, and I definitely see a lot of improvement in his ability to get around in that when I help him move he no longer puts so much weight on me or leans so far to the side. He can get into and out of his wheelchair fairly well with standby assistance.

One of those days nothing goes right

2009-08-14T13:35:00.001-07:00

Did you ever have one of them days when you are fairly certain you would be better off if you just crawled back into bed and stayed there? That's the day I am having.

Last night my dad was complaining he had a sore throat. When I woke this morning with one myself I asked him and his was still there. Clue 1.

The upgraded channels I added onto the TV system last night are not working. Can't seem to get them to work, even after two calls to talk to the folks at the Dish Network place. It seems the little dish is only seeing one of the two satellites it is supposed to see, so we apparently have to have a repair dude come out and fix it before my dad can get the channels he wants to watch. Clue 2.

You would think that would be enough clues, huh? Went out to the porch and noticed the sun roof on the Cadillac is partially open. Only way to get it cooled off inside when driving along is to open the sunroof, since the windows no longer work, and I forgot to close the sunroof when me and dad got back from our last outing. And you know it rained last night, huh? Both driver and passenger seats are soaked. Clue 3.

Now, most people would take three clues and say enough was enough, but I was not about to let that stop me. I can toss a blanket over the seats - right? So, I'm taking inventory to see if we have to go all the way to town, or if the town run can wait for Monday. There are a few things in front of the hall closet that were headed for the storage area in one of the back bedrooms, so I move that and am stepping into the room where it is to go when I step on something. I don't know how in the hell broken glass got in there, but I found it. Bare foot, just in front of the heel on soft tender part of the foot. Deep and wide - took a while to staunch it with Kleenex and pressure. Clue 4 was enough for me. I conferred with my dad and he agreed that since his throat was still sore and it was cold and rainy was a good day to stay home rather than risk making things worse by going out in the cold rain.

I called the therapy place and told them we'd see them Monday, then went and doctored the foot up. Is now all bandaged and I don't care what we need, I am not leaving this house until Monday. I don't need a 5th hint that it's a bad day to be doing stuff.

Slow blog changes

2009-08-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

I'm making a few modifications to this site, but it is going to be a little while before I am finished with it all. It is part of some things I have going with a couple of websites that I am working on, so I will not be finished with things here until after I am ready to send those sites live.

So, expect minor alterations here and there, but the modifications are going to be slow as I work my way toward what I am trying to get sorted out without actually taking down and rebuilding the entire blog theme.

Sleep better with a wedge pillow

2009-08-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Rather from a simple preference for having the head elevated or for a medical necessity such as acid reflux, many find that the simple addition of a wedge pillow underneath their head and shoulders can make all the difference between getting a decent night's sleep and waking up exhausted.

A wedge pillow is a long wedge shaped foam pillow that is placed on the bed to elevate your chest and head. This can be anywhere from a few inches to a full 12 inches depending on your particular needs. For some, this is an inexpensive alternative to costly adjustable beds.

If you think that you or your care recipient might sleep better with a wedge pillow, then you might want to check out the wide range of wedge pillows that Allegro Medical carries. Allegro Medical also has an assortment of body positioning pillows to allow you to help stay positioned in your bed, and pillows that are specifically designed to reduce snoring.

Selling medical supplies online since 1997, Allegro Medical has over 50,000 products in over 50 categories of items, subdivided into hundreds of subcategories that let you search by condition, product brands, even specific parts of the body. And now, for items that you use often, you can enjoy easy auto reordering by selecting a frequency you would like items shipped to you.

Sarah Palin sees seniors standing before "death panels" with new healthcare plans

2009-08-12T10:37:00.001-07:00

I have been watching the news about the back and forth that is being tossed about over the health care bill and what everyone thinks about what is on it and what is not on it and... The grrrrr point for me was when the former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, reportedly stood up and said that that if the bill passes then seniors were going to be pushed into standing before "death panels".

Now, I know we have a lot of baby boomers here that are headed for their own old age pretty soon, but give me a break people. At least READ the bill before you paint the pictures.

This "death panel" is a part in the bill that allows someone to have the visit paid for if they make an appointment to see their doctor to discuss end of life and living wills and stuff. We are not talking about "OMG they're killing the elderly!" we are talking about the seniors having the ability to talk to their doctor about how much of an effort is to be made to save them. If they are to be placed on life support or prefer not to be kept alive via machines, or what to do if they fall into a long term coma... these are things someone has to talk to their doctor about, and the bill is listing that as one of the legitimate reasons to see their doctor that would be covered by the new plan.

Home Alarm Systems

2009-08-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone that has been a family caregiver for a while can tell you that there is enough to cause stress without also worrying about your home while you are away. And, ATD is unlike other security companies, ADT's multiple monitoring centers ensure that trouble at one center will not leave your home unmonitored because the coverage automatically transfers to a second, or even third, center if there is a power outage or computer trouble at your local monitoring center.

Listing itself as an authorized ADT security system provider, Home Alarm Expert provides information on the ADT system as well as details on their website on the benefits of selecting to protect your family and home with ADT's 24 hour monitoring.

To find out more about the Home Alarm Expert website and the home security services which they offer, visit the link above.

No matter how bad it seems. You are not in this alone

2009-08-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

There are times when family can just drive you completely insane. I'm talking about those times such as when something trivial causes a rift within a family, or a misunderstanding will start an argument that spirals out of control. These are universal things that every family has to deal with, but when they impact the care of a loved one it is particularly difficult to take.

A search of Google quickly brings up a large number of results that concern family stress and caregivers. A couple of examples of common issues in these articles are old arguments that crop back up - even from childhood rivalries or issues that arise from the division of tasks in caring for a relative. There might be different points of view on what is best for the care recipient, where the children of an elderly woman might be divided in their feelings about providing care at home vs placement of her in a retirement home - even if it is against her will.

These are only a very few of the things that can cause strife in a family, and the main thing I want to convey here is - whatever is happening, however hard it seems to be, chances are, somewhere out here, there is another caregiver that has, is or will face the same kind of issues that you are facing at the moment. My only advice... grab a diary and pour your heart out into it. Or hop on the phone or a chat program and pour your heart out to your closest friends. If you need someone that can talk to you and understand the issues you are facing from a similar perspective then you might look around online for caregiver forums or support groups. Shared stories can go a long way toward shared healing.

Can't trust people

2009-08-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

I came across an article in the Sierra Vista Herald out of Sierra Vista, AZ that detailed the theft of $25,000 from a disabled man by his paid caregiver over the course of four months.

The article is a little confusing, since it quotes two different amounts - $25,000 and $40,000. I'm not sure which is the accurate amount of the theft, but in my opinion it is ridiculous that a caregiver should be stealing even $1 from their care recipient, for someone that is paid to provide the care to steal through intentional fraud is just... grrrr. And people wonder why I don't trust strangers to care for my dad with all the stuff like this I see. I'm distrustful of people as it is, so to see stuff like this just reinforces for me that people are as a rule very untrustworthy.

Rush Limbaugh on Fox news

2009-07-26T03:22:00.000-07:00

Oh good gawd. Rush Limbaugh lives on some weird plane of existences that revolves around him and him alone.

He sits there and talks about how it is lies that there are people that can't get health care in this country. Well, Mr. Limbaugh, you said that it was easy. I'll paraphrase your comment here - "people go into the ER and if they can't pay they talk to the people and arrange to make payments, and if they can't pay then the repo man comes out and takes away their car."

Oh, yeah... that's a good solution. Here's a real life scenario for you now, Mr. Limbaugh.

I'm 39, single, Caucasian. I have visited the ER three times, each time for severely infected teeth. I can not afford to visit a dentist to get them fixed, so all I can do is go to the ER at $97 a visit, plus roughly $60 for medications. I can not even pay that, so I end up with my bills being sent to collections as I am struggling to get $5 ahead and make payments on them.

I was born in the USA to parents that were born in the USA, my grandparents were born here... you see a pattern yet?

I'm not some illegal hiding out soaking in the Government benefits. I begged for Medicaid and was told, in so many words by the woman in the public assistance office "Come back when you are pregnant or Mexican" (Her exact words).

I know I am not the only one. Mr. Limbaugh wants to think I am not even here, but I am.

Oh, and the "car" the repo man would haul off is a ATV that I won in a contest several years back, the gears are going out, the front right tire is having problems and I ride it 15 miles to the store and back a few times a month to pick up my dad's medications and shop for groceries and stuff. Thank God I live in Alaska where ATVs can be used as transportation, or I could not even get to the store and back.

But... I don't exist anyway, according to Mr. Limbaugh, so... I guess I don't have to get to the store anyway, just like I don't have to see a doctor. huh?

Beachfront Destination Weddings

2009-07-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Karisma Hotels resorts are located on white-sand beaches of the Mexican Riviera Maya. This bit of “divine favor” is only one of the things that make it easy to see why they take their name from the Greek.

Another clue lies in their vision for your destination wedding. Picture the elegance of a beach ceremony, the sun is setting, flowers adorn a tulle roofed four-post gazebo where you and your significant other exchange your vows. The first glimmer of stars appear overhead as you make your way to linen draped tables, glimmering candles and small lights sparkle in the open reception area as white-gloved waiters pour campaign into glasses.

This is the vision that Karisma Hotels has for your wedding day. Their destination weddings are beachfront glamor waiting for your own vision of your dream wedding to bring them to life for your special day.

If you would like to find out more, check out the Karisma Hotels website at the link above, and be sure that you consult your desired hotel ahead of time to find out if they have the gazebo style you prefer. Some have a full standard gazebo on the beach, others a four-post gazebo that they can set up in your desired location with a canopy of tulle and decorated with fresh flowers.

Exercise Possibilities

2009-07-16T12:08:00.001-07:00

I have got to thinking about things that my dad and I could do together, and I realized that I was missing out on something that we have the ability to do now that we have finally got dependable transportation.

We are going to start driving as far as the local paved bike trails and then hike along them with him in his wheelchair and me walking. We can take the dogs along with us for moose protection (or is that moose fodder?), and hike for so long, then back to the car. A fifteen minute walk in one direction would be a total of a 30 minute walk for me, occasionally pushing the wheelchair uphill at slight inclines, so the thing will add to the workout I get.

And we can start training Bear to be a chair pulling dog, so he can assist me with the hills. Maybe teach him and Shy to pull the chair together, but she's still interested more in grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and coaxing him to wrestle, so that might not be a good idea.

Watch TV and movies online

2009-07-16T03:06:00.000-07:00

There are times when I am so scattered from all of the things that needs to be done in the day, that I do not realize until way late that I forgot that my favorite show was on. Even when it is one that is in reruns that I have seen several times before, it can still be disappointing to miss it. That's why I love to be able to watch TV online. It's the only way that I can get the chance to see some stuff.

Spreety TV Online : Watch TV Shows Online Free and watch movies online. One hit a moment of nostalgia for me when I was idly browsing selections and found in their "Popular TV Shows Online" link a link over to Fancast, and in the movies there I discovered "Timerider". I watched that years ago and it has remained one of my favorite time travel movies. If it was not almost 2 in the morning I would watch that now.

Spreety goes beyond just giving you a clump of shows to watch, it links you to sites all across the web so that you can find what you want to watch. Be sure to check out their e-book, use the page forward and back >> marks (<< Page 1 of 87 >>) to the right of the book, to browse through it. It has a good listing of where to watch everything from movies to TV shows, even places that are best for kids and where to find the old 50's shows and so on. I did a bit of looking and found Spreety TV Online has some great genera divisions for stuff like history programs, family TV, game shows, westerns (BRISCO County, Jr!!!!, and my mom adored Gunsmoke, and I loved Alias Smith & Jones...)... Spreety is definitely a great resource for finding legal to watch shows and movies online.

It is closing in on three in the morning here in Alaska now, so I am going to get some sleep and let you go find something good to watch... or maybe I'll watch just a few minutes of Timerider.... O:-)

Nite y'all!

I need a treadmill

2009-07-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was reading something a little while ago that encourages walking as a stress reliever for caregivers, however... before a caregiver can get out and walk, they have to get someone to hang out with their care recipient. That's not exactly easy, so I have decided that what I need is a good treadmill. I had one, and I used it all the time, but then the thing had some kind of materials defect occur and the tube where the tension deal connects cracked, resulting in the tension adjustment thing sinking into the tube deal. Not sure how to explain, but, basically it gets down to the treadmill will go for two steps, then the belt is all the way to the right. I force it back to place, try to get the tension to work right again, and it goes two steps and is back to the right and jammed all over again. Can not walk on something that is doing that, so I have decided that I need to get me a new treadmill when I can. Preferably a motorized type one so I don't have to fight it like I do this one.

Investing for the furture

2009-07-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Monex companies have been leaders in precious metals investing in America for over 30 years. The hard assay professionals at the Monex Deposit Company are ready to help you design an investment portfolio that includes precious metals in coin and/or ingot form.

Perhaps you are looking to get started in investing, maybe buying investment quiality gold coins such as the American Eagle gold coin. A perfect choice for starting a savings the American Eagle gold coin is a .9167 fine gold coin that is available in units of 10 one-ounce coins.

The price of gold fluctuates, but according to the pricing graph on the Monex Deposit Company website, gold has increased in price over the past ten years from an average range of $250 to $300 an ounce in the year 2000, to an average of $900 to $950 an ounce today. Imagine what the prices will be in another ten or twenty years. This makes gold a favored investment metal for investors.

Purchasing gold is one of many ways to save for retirement, and while there is a risk that the price of gold will not be at its peak when you are ready to sell, there is a very good chance that the prices will at least be many times more than you purchased it for when held for a period of ten or more years.

Caregiving Contracts

2009-06-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

On June 25th the New York Times ran an article on caregiving contracts. It seems like an odd thing, a contract that defines your being paid to care for your parents, but it also sort of makes sense.

I don't know how many caregivers are in the same situation as I am, where their role as caregiver places them in the highest stress unpaid job in the world, but I am guessing it is more than actually get paid to provide care to their parents.

My parents came up with the simple math of in exchange for the care I provide is paid for in my inheriting their home and everything in it. A good deal - until the home had to be placed into mortgage to pay for the mortgages of the homes of several others in the family. Now I am trying to figure out a way to save my parents' home so that I can have the home my mom wanted me to have.

My dad and I have looked into several of those guaranteed acceptance life insurances and have began payments on a few of those, it is his hope that if anything happens to him I will be able to coax a bank into allowing me to at least start making payments on the house to buy it back. We will see how that works, I'm hoping my dad lives another 80 years and we'll just slowly pay the place off together.

There is no place like home

2009-06-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

That is not only Dorothy's mantra for getting back home at the click of her heels, it is a very true bit of wisdom that some people spend their entire lives figuring out.

So, what made me figure that out? Taking a vacation. It has taken me twice as long to recover from the vacation as the vacation lasted. And now I look out into the yard at the Nasturtiums that I had ready to plant that had not got planted and have instead withered in the starter pots. Those I did get planted are far behind in their development, and I ended up spending the money that normally went into flowers for the yard on going south for a week.

Next year. Next year if anyone says that anyone has to go anywhere in the spring I am going to go after them with a 2x4.

Access Diabetic Supply cold call - and I do mean COLD

2009-05-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

I got a call this morning from some gal that barely spoke English saying that she was from Access Diabetic supplies and wanted to talk to my dad. Her English was bad enough that I barely caught 'Access' and since I was expecting a call today from a place about getting my dad a powered wheelchair I assumed it was them calling me back so I told her I was his caregiver, could I help her?

She began telling me about how Medicare recipients can get their diabetes supplies for free so I stopped her (not an easy task) and asked how she got my information. She said that they are authorized to call people that have, in the past, filled out a card saying they wanted information on diabetes products and services. That made me think for a moment, and I do recall filling out a general information card like that at one time at my dad's doctor's office, but I did NOT put down any phone number. They had to have looked that up.

As I said, I could barely understand her English and as she launched back into her spiel I had to talk over her (several times "Ma'am... Ma'am... Miss... Ma'am... wait wait wait wait...") to get her to stop talking long enough for me to inform her that the request had to have been from six months to a year ago, and that my mother, the diabetic, has passed away.

Now, for any normal person this would have resulted in a "Oh, I'm sorry." :::shakes head::: This gal - She paused for just a fraction of a second and then, with no tone change from her spiel, said "What about *****?" (my dad's name). It is putting it mildly to say that I was dumbfounded for a moment, then I recovered from the "WTF?!?!!?" shock of her coldness and said "Can I please speak to your manager?" She promptly hung up on me. I think she realized that she had screwed up when she did not even offer up a "Oh, I'm sorry" and just pushed right on ahead asking about the next possible target to her cold call.

This kind of customer contacting is not merely unwelcome, but exceptionally uncalled for in the level of uncaring that the caller has for the persons on the receiving end of the call.

Travel

2009-05-23T18:54:00.001-07:00

Me and my dad are looking at probably going down to Washington for a week to visit my older sister and see her youngest graduate from high school. My dad's doctor had been uneasy about his flying, but then ran a bunch of tests and he went and talked to her again and apparently she cleared him to go down. I still want to get a chance to confer with her one more time before we go, make sure that she does not have any kind of concerns, but if she says he's cleared for flying then we'll be headed down for my nephew's graduation and to hang out with my sister and her husband for a bit.