being social

I haven't written much lately because I feel like all I'm writing is negativity.  I don't want to be known as that depressing Wendy woman.  What I'm writing does seem to be resonating with a few of you going through similar situations, though, which makes me sad and happy all at once.  Sad, that other people are as fucked up as I am.  And happy that I can make someone else feel a teensy bit better just by identifying with their pain.

That was a long way to say that I made an effort to be social today, so I could write about happier times.  I met my dad for lunch and heard all about his trip to see my brother.  He talked the entire hour, regaling me with so many details that I wished I'd recorded him.  He painted a colorful landscape of my brother's whole menagerie.  Apparently my brother is running a Home for Pregnant Mares in addition to everything else.  I heard all about the Canine Strategy to deal with the Coyote Problem.  And how the roosters are the early warning system for the hens against the hawks and owls.  And how the cows eat the dead cane leaves (stalks?), but the horses don't, perhaps due to the stomach disparities.  And the chickens eat all kinds of little crawly things for extra protein.  And that my brother has turned into quite a good cook, especially when he uses magical American Indian flour.

Lunch was pretty fkn entertaining.  I decided to pay the love forward and visit Totoro at her rehab place.  She had changed rooms, and I got completely lost trying to find her.  No one bothered me while I wandered the halls of old people looking for her.  I met a resident feline, asleep on a chair.  And quite a few lonely, old people, sitting four feet away from other lonely, old people.  It was pretty depressing.  I can see why she wants to escape.  I finally found her new room, but no Totoro in it.  I wandered a bit more and finally decided to ask.  I should have known.  She was getting her hair done at the Beauty Salon.

When she was finished, I wheeled her back to her room, although we stopped to visit the cat on the way.  [He deigned to talk to me, lick my hand, and then rub his face on me.]  They aren't letting Totoro walk at all, which saddens me.  She gets physical therapy twice a day, but no walking (because they're scared of lawsuits).  Meanwhile, her muscles are atrophying.  Of course I immediately texted her grandkids asking for more pics, which they sent.  Because she had just gotten her hair done, she agreed to us doing a selfie.  We took about nine before finding an acceptable one.  I sent it to her son and grandkids.  And then we settled in for some girl-talk.  No, I won't tell you what we said, Mr. Nosypants.  :P