Grief and Gratitude, Grok - Shifting

[grok]

Well, never dull.

What I find
I arrived home on Friday to find W parked in the driveway…in the middle. I couldn’t pull in so I waited as she rushed back into the house and came out soon with what looked like a large laundry basket. And off she drove.

In I go to S12 and D17 as D19 is working a child watching side job. I give love to them. Check the portable AC is still fine. Check to see the AC fan motor came in. I’ll wait until the morning to work on it. I’m tired. And hungry. Although it looks like few dishes clean. The sink and counter are piled high. D17 said she did some but no one else for the five days I was gone….

Phew! What is the dog poop smell? I see little dog 2 run by and follow the smell to find a steaming pile on the carpet. Ugh…Did no one let the dogs out? And then I see seven more tiny piles of what look like dried diarrhea. On the carpet. I get paper towels and pick up the new pile.

G, ”S12, D17, what is going on here? Is this dog poop on the floor? “
D17, ”Yeah, little dog 2 was having trouble.”
G, ”Why didn’t anyone clean it up?”

No good answer was forthcoming and I wasn’t going to say anything negative about W to them. Dog poop left on the floor is its own statement. No dishes done is its own statement.

The day after

W comes by to take D17 to Saturday gymnastics at 8am. I notice a message later from W to our family group chat, ”Can someone get D17 from gym at 11? I’m busy today preparing for my craft fair market tomorrow.”. It’s not an emergency. I’ll discuss with D19 when she wakes up. Like we aren’t busy? I don’t reply.

Then, I’m tired still…but man up G, get the AC fixed. I go and remove the old fan motor…taking pictures of where the wires go. The connections are pretty dirty and stiff so I rummaged around and found a can of contact cleaner I’ve had for years. Now I go to put the new motor on and…. Ack. The four bolts don’t quite go into the holes!

Examining the issue I find the motor bolt pattern is about 1mm closer together than the holes in the support…. Hmmmm…. Practical solution is make the holes in the support a tiny bit bigger on the inside so they are effectively closer together. I need a round file and I can’t find one on my bench. I’ll have to run to the store to get one.

D19 replies in the group chat, “yes”. I tell her I have to run to the store over by D17 anyway and there is some confusion about 11 or 12 end times for D17’s gymnastics. The official hours are until 12. D19 suggests I go to the store now and swing by the gym in case it is an 11 pickup and I agree. I note she does NOT suggest calling W.

I go and pick up a bundle of small files then swing by the gym. Sure enough it was an 11 pickup. I give one of D17’s gym friends a ride home also. The gym’s AC failed the other day and the hours were reduced because of the heat.

Re-assembly of the AC fan unit is completed and it works! Hooray! No screeeeeching sounds. The new fan blades still seem a little less balanced than the old. I’m not concerned in the short run.

Now I get out the carpet spot cleaner and the wet vac and spent an hour cleaning all the dog poop up.

- Lunch -

D17, ” Dad, Dad, Dad, take us to the store. We need to get things for our trip!”.

So off we four went. Some clothes. Some activities for the plane ride. Misc stuff needed.

NOW I unpack and start loads of laundry. Start the children on all the deferred chores. Kids on their own start the packing process for a few hours.

The next morning

1am little dog 2 is barking. I go hush him.
1:30am little dog 2 is barking. I go hush him.
2am little dog 2 is barking. %^#%$^. He is staring at big dog. OH. Big dog threw up in his crate. I pull him out and pick up the throw up. I pick up the crate and wipe it down. I place the crate down in a different place because I’ll have to wet vac that area during the daytime. I put big dog back in crate and zzzzzz

7am go get big dog for morning walk….. OH, there is diarrhea in the crate on the floor. *sigh* Take the dog for a walk. Pick up crate and wipe it down. Get out wet vac for when everyone is awake. Make breakfast things. Get ready for church. Wet vac the floor in multiple locations.

…etc… I think we are mostly caught up. Now writing at midnight. Many things to say or reply to but when?

D19 just returned home from bowling with friends. She comes over and lays on the bed beside me watching reels. I need to send her to bed...LOL.

Grief, Gratitude, Grok, all in one
I was talking with S12 about some activities.

S12, ”Dad, are we going to do that one as a family, the four of us?”

D19, D17, S12 and I are Family. No mention of W.


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