*mentally happy dancing* (while wearing adhesive heat pack on lower back)

I got my "Batman" trilogy ticket this morning!  This is going to turn into the kind of adventure that I love.  I was so excited that I immediately took a picture of my ticket and put it on Instagram and Facebook.  People who know me well know that I am nothing more than a big kid at heart and get giddy about these kind of things.  The box office recommended I get to the movie theater around 4pm-now the first movie doesn't start until 6pm.  But they expect people to start lining up to get in early.  The theater we will be in will open up to us between 5 and 5:30.  There will be breaks between each movie (about 15 minutes), just like at the Oscar Best Picture Showcase I go to every year.  I probably won't be leaving the theater until 2:30am.  I'm so excited!  I figure between the 2nd and 3rd movie, I'll grab a soda and some chocolate to keep me going until I get home.  And then there will be the post-movie debriefing with Sam Friday morning.  He's bummed he can't go, but the band stuff is his work and you don't get days off work to go to the movies.  They really need to get a permanent drummer for the band and that all gets settled Thursday night.

I lifted a couple of things today that I shouldn't have.  But I'm religiously doing the down for an hour and up for 30 minutes thing.  I am getting stuff done at home.  Tonight I'm planning to have a fire on my deck in my fire bowl and sit out there with Buk and enjoy life in general.  Sam will probably join us.  We have to do it around 6:30pm BST (before skunking time).  The skunks tend to come out between 7:45 and 8:30.  I want Buk to be out there with us, but I do not want him to have to go through the de-skunking process if it can be avoided at all.  I texted Mandie to let them know they could come join us-haven't heard anything back.  Matt may be working today.  They may show up or they may not.  I'm okay either way.

I picked up a couple more 3 month outfits for Tristan at Target this morning.  They are clearing out all the summer stuff to get ready to start stocking for fall/winter.  Our hottest time of the year runs from middle of August to September, and sometimes even through October.  I got 2 one-piece outfits made out of lightweight cotton for $5 each.  I'm sort of clueless about what's going on with Mandie.  I hate to text her in case they are fighting and the last person she wants to hear from is someone with the same last name as Matt.  Did that one time and learned my lesson.  So now I let her text or call me first.

Next week's adventure also involves a movie.  Sam and I got tickets for Monday night to see a special showing of two episodes of "Star Trek Next Generation" at the theater for its 25 anniversary.  "Make it so, Number 1" is a big part of the boys' and I's vocabulary.  Of course, then we start making the number 2 jokes.  But we think this is going to be fun.  The following week Sam and I are going to head to Sea World for the afternoon/evening.  We do that every summer and didn't get to last summer because I was in the hospital.

I'm thinking on a daily basis about a year ago, but figure that's to be expected.  I was told at the end of July that I wouldn't be around past September, but here I gratefully am.  I'm planning a little vacation in October to celebrate me being released from hospice care that month.  Two nights and three days at Disneyland.  Sam may go for 24 hours and the rest of the time I'll be on my own.  But I've gotten into this Mouse Wait website and they do meets all through both the parks, so I may end up with some of them.  Sam is a Disneyland purist, but I love Disney California Adventure and wandering around all the joys that is Downtown Disney.

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt some grocery shopping.  Sam got the cases of water and kitty litter, so there shouldn't be any heavy lifting for me.  In the afternoon I see my massage therapist.  I've reached the point where I think I can actually stand to get a massage-last week I wouldn't have let Brad Pitt touch my back, that's how bad it hurt!

My back is slowly getting better every day as long as I take it slowly.  Matt and I sort of clashed yesterday.  I still haven't completely figured out my iPhone and he got a message I had sent his dad.  So he sent back a nasty message to me and then the ex got involved and jumped all over Matt.  I guess Andie's contractions yesterday were Braxton Hicks.  I know what she is going through because I went through the same thing with Sam-every twinge and (at this point) you hope like hell this is it so let's roll to the hospital.  Then you get pissed because it wasn't it.

So I get up this morning-actually slept in until 6:30am.  Didn't require 4 Motrin to get out of bed-a good day in my book for me.  So I decided to go to the movie and see "Brave".  Using the Life Support Device, I got my movie time before even putting one foot on the floor-life was just getting better and better!  Gently relocated two cats so I could get out of bed and came down the hall for a cup of tea......to find Matt sleeping in his old room which still has a twin bed in it. A before-tea HUH?? followed.

My goal became to get out before he woke up.  And he woke up immediately.  In our typical way, we made no reference to yesterday's skirmish.  He said he spent the night here because Mandie got into a huge fight.  I'm okay with that.  But then.....

(there always seems to be a "but then" with my first born)...she drove over here and they continued the fight in the front yard-it was after midnight at this point.  I kept my mouth shut.  We stayed on neutral subjects.  He spent time with Buk and left.

I went to the movie and it was soooo good!  I really enjoyed it. I came home to see if Sam wanted to get lunch.  We started talking about the Mandie incident last night.  We both feel the same.  That's the last time they bring the fighting back to my house.  Sam said if he hears it and I don't, he will go kick them out and off the property.  Their fighting is why we wanted them out so bad.  If necessary, we will get the locks changed. I'm putting my foot down about this and Sam has my back.

At the movie theater I saw the advertisement for the showing of the Batman trilogy Thursday night.  Starts at 6pm.  Ends with a 12am showing of the new one.  Sam can't go because of drummer auditions for the band.  I did text Matt to see if he'd like to go, but haven't heard back.  I'm going to the box office tomorrow when it opens to get my ticket.  Its one of those things I have no problem doing by myself.  There is going to be a ton of people down there for the event in addition to all the people going for just the midnight showing.  Sam is bummed he can't go.  I'm thrilled to be going-getting to see all 3 back-to-back in a theater with like-minded people?  Couldn't make it to Comic Con this year, but I can definitely do this.  Plus, its added motivation for me to continue to take it easy with my back.

I'm doing 1 load of laundry-t shirts, nothing heavy.  I'm going to do some light stuff around the house.  I did use my heat packs and parked myself in my bedroom chair for an hour after I got home.  Its so wonderful to not be in constant pain!  I told my stair step machine that we were going to have some gradual serious bonding starting next weekend.  Second episode of "Big Brother" is tonight---oh no!  I'll miss Thursday's episode!  But I can do that for Chris Nolan who is directing the trilogy.  I read an interview with him today where he said that, out of respect for the amazing job that Heath Ledger did playing the Joker, there is absolutely no reference to him in the last movie.  I liked that.

Just had a thought-I wonder if people will dress up Thursday night in costume like they used to for the Star Wars movies?  This is going to be so darned much fun!!

This being house bound with the back thing is starting to drive me crazy.  But to put it in perspective, I make myself remember back to a year ago when I was in the hospital with a death sentence over my head.  At least I'm in my house that I love with Sam and the four-leggeds and not a person in sight who wants to draw blood.  And I have my iPhone.

I think my usage of it is becoming worse, but a big part of it is the back thing.  Its really hard for me to sit very long in my computer chair right now.  So I'm checking email, texting, playing games, messing around on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.  I can use it laying in bed or in my bedroom chair while using heat packs/ice packs.  I'm proud to say I have not taken it to the bathroom with me.  Matt is notorious for that!

Checked Instagram this morning to see a 30 minute old picture of Andie in the hospital again.  The only thing I've been able to find out is that she was having strong contractions and Matt took her in.  They were going to keep her for a couple of hours and then release her.  I don't know if they stopped the contractions again or what.  When she was in the hospital last week, the doctor told me when I was visiting Andie that, once she made it to last Monday, if she went into labor again it was go time-Tristan would be okay.  I know this is stressing Matt out.  Between worrying about her and keeping her happy, trying to squeeze in whatever work he can, and having a house guest until the 26th in their tiny apartment.....the boy has his hands full.  But I'd just like to know what the heck is going on.  I guess its a mom thing.  They've been out of my house since the first weekend of July which I've enjoyed.  But I also knew (sometimes too much) what was going on with my grandson.  I know that stress contributes to my back problems, so I'm trying not to worry.  But I'm now convinced Andie has been pregnant for 24 months now and is holding off for 6 years-she'll have Tristan for my 60th birthday.

And I even stooped to taking a picture of what I made for lunch this afternoon and put it on Instagram.  I was bored.

Sam is gone all day for band stuff.  He took me grocery shopping yesterday.  He really has been so helpful around the house since the back thing.  Its been 10 whole days since I was last in a movie theater which is making me nuts-especially this time of year.  I  spent the last couple of days catching up on all my Hollywood magazine/websites reading so I really want to go see a few movies NOW.  Its not the sitting through the movie that would be hard-I can sit close to the front, take a couch pillow, put the arm rest up, and its like watching tv at home on my couch.  That's how I survive seeing 4 movies in one day during Oscar season.  But its the walking through the mall to/from the theater.  Standing in line.  Driving (which I'm not doing right now) if its a movie that Sam doesn't want to see.

Jeeze, I've gotten whiny!

I am doing small stuff around the house that involves no lifting.  I'm up for 30 minutes and then bed or chair for an hour.  That's when I hit Twitter to catch up on all the happenings at Comic Con.  This city probably has more celebrities in it right now than Hollywood does.  Oh well, there is always next year.

Its been hot/humid here.  There's a hurricane off the coast of Baja that may bring more humidity next week.  It even rained a little here!!!  I had the house opened up and all of a sudden I have my nose up in the air sniffing like Buk the dog does when I'm cooking chicken-I could smell the rain and it was lovely.  Grabbing my LSD-Life Support Device/aka iPhone, I turned on my app that is a sleep thing you can set to listen to stuff.  I turned on rain/thunder, closed my eyes and sniffed.  

I have a very vivid imagination which comes in handy at times-I was a very happy camper.

I've been playing a lot of Scrabble on my LSD.  I'm trying to get brave enough to attempt Words with Friends.

Okay, my back is saying its had enough and, at least for now, my back is Queen of the House.

Back was feeling better this morning but I'm still taking it easy.  I got some more stuff done around the house and Sam took me to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  I started watching "Big Brother" last night-I get so hooked on that show but its a frigging 3 night a week commitment!  Shower was okay.  I met a couple of people there that I really enjoyed talking to.  Did have one very weird moment though.  I was using what used to be my bathroom when I lived there.  The toilet paper roll needed to be changed and so I did it.  Then I froze and thought, "how many times in the 20 years that I lived here did I do that same exact thing?"  I'm just so darned uncomfortable being in that house!

Matt is sort of being a poop right now, so Sam and I aren't sure what's going on Tristan-wise.  

Back pain has gotten slightly better.  The thing I need to do is give it the few days to get better and not do stupid things like moving chairs, grocery shopping and carrying things in, and moving sunpots around the yard.  I'm most comfortable in bed or my rocker/recliner in the bedroom.  Tristan watch continues.  As of Monday if Andie went into labor again, they are not going to try to stop it.

At least I can follow all the action at Comic Con which started today.  If I wasn't hurting so bad, I'd be there for the cast/crew reunion panel for "Firefly".

That and to see all the 40 year old guys dressed up like Luke Skywalker and being treated like rock stars.

My back says back to bed.

Me and and frozen bags of corn are my best friends.  I thought it was a good thing to fold up and carry all the chairs in the yard.

I'm paying for it now.

2nd attempt at picture post.  I think I've got it this time.

I was having breakfast here out on the deck and decided it was a Kodak moment.    One of those little moments of peace and quiet.

3 Spoke Wheel-Sam's band-in the magazine.  The guy on the far right who looks like a kid standing next to the wrestler?  My boy wearing the dreaded mariachi pants.  And I sort of wish he'd lose the vest too.  Maybe I need to talk to the cats about peeing on that????

Matt's dog, Buk (short for Bukowski) that I have custody of for the next 6 months.  Half poodle, half pug, and totally adorable.  And one of my 30 solar lights.

A rare sighting of all 3 cats.  Freshly washed sheets explains it all.  Front one is Timber (technically Matt's cat that I inherited), second one on the left is Leon the 20lb Maine Coon cat that is Sam's, and third one is my girl Neko who rules the house.  So I only-TECHNICALLY-own one cat which makes me NOT crazy cat lady)

Shower time-this is about a third of the gifts.

There were 7 more tables set up that were completely full in the backyard.

Matt on the right before his eyes started glazing over after opening all the presents with Andie.  

Buk hanging out where the caterers were cooking.  Baby blue bandana compliments of me.

Unless its for a band shoot, its hard to ever get a picture of Sam. 

Opening gifts.  Each gift had to be held up and the person personally thanked for it.  Took 2 hours.

I had some fun moments and some really weird moments.  I'll spill the details tomorrow.  

Stick a fork in me, I'm done for the day.

Well, another morning waking up to no text/phone call from Matt that its Tristan time.  As of tomorrow, if Andie goes into labor again, its T-time and the doctor won't try to stop it.  I did put together some clothes, hats, and receiving blankets and sent them home with Matt so at least they will have stuff ready to bring him home from the hospital in and get them through the first 24 hours.  I'm one of those people who like to be prepared.  Andie doesn't have a hospital bag packed.  The apartment is in moving-in chaos.  Matt did get the crib put together so that is ready.  I've held off buying diapers to take over because I don't know if I need to get premie or newborn.  I know I'm being anal about this-I think its because Tristan is the first grandchild.  By the time Sam becomes a dad, I'll probably be like "if worse comes to worse, we put a blanket  in a clean laundry basket and the baby can sleep there for a day or two."

Shower day is here.  When Sam was helping me wrap the swing yesterday (huge box and, with my back, this was a group activity), I kept laughing and thinking, "oh great-another thing Matt will have to put together".  Welcome to the world of parenting, dude.  How many nights did I stay up after birthdays/Christmas assembling Legos, etc?

Maybe I've shoved my head in the clouds for a few days, but I'm hoping that Mandie can get along for at least the next few weeks.  I'm believing that, once T-man (I already have so many nicknames for the little guy!) gets here, they can be excited and enjoy this time.  No more door slamming or silent treatment or yelling.  I really don't know what the future will hold for Mandie's relationship, but I'm okay with the head-in-the-clouds thing for now.  One less thing for me to worry about.  Because there is still the whole thing that there is some fluid next to Baby T's brain that has to be figured out once he makes his appearance.

I'm going to be seeing a group of people that I haven't seen in 11 years today-the ex's family.  Total of about 15.  The sisters will be analyzing what I'm wearing, how I look, etc.  The wicked witch (his mom) will be trying to find out if I'm dating, working, how I spend my time, and then will run around to the 14 others twisting what I say around to put the worst possible spin on it just like she used to.

So I did a little beauty night last night.  Facial, Nair, Jergen's fake tan.  Cute outfit purchased last weekend laid out.  Its a good hair day today.  And I plan to do one of the things I do best (it always cracks Matt and Sam up when I do this)-play stupid.  I'll be vague, borderline serious air head, talk about my cats a lot.  It will be an amusing little game for me to play which will help me get through having to be in that house again.  It will help to hold a lot of memories at bay, until I can get home where I can be myself again.

Plus, the ex's girlfriend will be there.  I could really care less except for one thing.  The woman crossed a line and I'm pissed.  Mandie doesn't want her there and didn't send her an invitation, but we are sure she'll be there anyway.  Andie told me that one night when they were at the McMansion for family dinner, the ex and Matt were out in the livingroom talking.  She overheard the girlfriend talking on her phone to her daughter.  "And now he's out there talking to his son.  I don't like him doing that and I'm going to put a stop to it."  Okay, I'm sorry but WTF?  The ex has already bought her a car, is paying her rent, gave her a credit card.  Mandie and I are convinced she's riding the money train with the ex.  That I really don't care about-his business.  But do NOT interfere with my sons' relationship (which is very sparse as it is) with their father.  She crossed a line and I don't like it.  But I do promise she won't "accidently" trip into the pool where all the tables are going to be set up.

*sigh*  Sometimes is so hard not to give into my impulses at times.

The thing I'm most grateful for is that its not a female-only shower.  A bunch of Matt's friends will be there that I know, so I can hang out with them.  Now we are talking the sort of guys that some people find a little scary looking and are uncomfortable around.  Tattoos (including facial and hands), piercings, ears gaged so big you could slide a quarter through the holes.  I can hang out with them and talk BMX, pool, music, movies-fun stuff.

I'm not sure if Sam is going yet.  Today is suppose to be the first recording day in a local studio for the band.  They are going to do 4 tracks and send it off to the music producer in Hollywood.  Its sort of make-it-or-break-it time.  Maybe I'm biased, but I think their original stuff is great.

I need a funny moment here.  When I saw the photographs of the band in the magazine the other day, I sighed.  Told Sam out of the goodness of my heart, I'd start doing fund raisers for the lead singer because he obviously can't afford to buy shirts to wear on stage.  Josh is gorgeous.  And ripped.  He's got a six pack on his back for goodness sake!  Think Roger Daltry from The Who back in the 70's and that's Josh.  I find the whole thing funny.  I adore him-he shows up at the house and spends at least an hour with me before heading back to Sam's room.  The guy can hold his own in a movie discussion with me and we both love Michael Jackson music.  He's become part of the group of the boys' friends I've adopted.

In household news, Sam discovered last night that one of the cats snuck in his room and peed on his leather mariachi pants that he wears on stage.  Honestly, I did not pay the cats to do this.  I think the things look silly.  I like the actual pants, but its the silver things down the sides.  Wouldn't be so bad if he wore boots with the pants.  Nope, he wears tennis shoes with them on stage.  I really don't know how to clean them.  I thought I'd stop by the dry cleaners tomorrow and ask them.  Maybe Google how to clean hideous looking mariachi pants and get the cat pee smell out of them.

By 7pm tonight I should be back home and be a very happy camper that the day is done.  Oh wait-that's right.  The darned shower will probably go on until 11pm because Mandie will be sitting there opening 80+ gifts for hours and hours that must be ooohhhed and ahhhed over.

Why wasn't this thing held on a Saturday?  I could have made an appointment for a unnecessary root canal without anesthesia or something.

Andie is still in the hospital-I went to see her this morning for about an hour.  They may release her tonight, but it sounds like she will definitely be out tomorrow morning so she can go to the shower.  Now she is only having about 3 contractions an hour, which is an improvement from every 5 minutes yesterday.  She is very unhappy being in the hospital and really wants to go home.  Mandie had a huge fight at the hospital Thursday night-she is taking all her fear and frustration out on him.  He refused to go see her yesterday.  But he was also working his butt off with the photography stuff and getting the crib and dresser put together.  And Matt just drove up-later!

And he just left to go grocery shopping after starting some laundry.  He said he went to the hospital for two hours today and she didn't speak to him once.  She is leaving the hospital tonight against the doctor's recommendations.  Matt doesn't know if she will go to their apartment or go to her mom's house-the girl is excellent at the silent treatment which I have witnessed many times before.  Well, its going to be a very interesting shower tomorrow.

I stopped at the store today and got some of those adhesive heat pack things you stick on and wear for 8 hours.  And another heat pack to warm in the microwave.  All the heat does seem to be helping my back/neck.  Driving was almost impossible this morning, but I've got things to do.  Sam had band practice last night so I had dinner out on the patio-it was so peaceful and quiet.

It was a year ago today I went to the hospital and was told a week later I had 5 to 9 weeks to live.  I think there is so much going on right now that I'm acknowledging it, but not dwelling on it.  I thought today might be kind of hard thinking back to how sick I was and all that I went through.  I don't know if it not being that hard today is a bad thing or a good thing.  Each morning I wake up, I'm just grateful to be waking up in my bed and know I can get up and go about my day.  Matt is going through a very rough time, but that's the part of being an adult that truly sucks.  I just keep thinking about how he is going to feel the very first time he holds his son in his arms.  Now that its the two of us again, Sam and I are very close again, making lots of plans to do this and that.  I guess I sort of look at each day as a gift now.  Sometimes you receive gifts that you really love and make you get all excited.  And then sometimes you get a gift that you look at and go "okay" and deal with it.

Quick update.  This morning the ex and I had no idea what was going on with Mandie.  He was more concerned about if the shower would happen on Sunday because of all the money he has spent on it so far.  I was more focused on them.  I wanted answers so I headed to the hospital this morning to see her.

She is 33 weeks and will be 34 weeks pregnant on Monday.  If she can make it until Monday, then Tristan would have to go into the special care unit for a week.  They will probably let her leave the hospital Sunday morning for the shower-I don't know if she will have to go back or can go home and back to bed rest.  She is currently having 5 minute contractions-when it hits 2 minutes apart, its go time.  I spent a few hours with her and then headed out.  Matt called me.  I guess they had a big fight at the hospital last night.  But, under the circumstances, I can understand.  He's bringing the kitten here and coming over for dinner tonight.  Andie's mom is insisting he pick up the crib from her house and put it together this afternoon.  He's trying to work to keep money rolling in.  I told him I'd do daily morning hospital duty to help out.  I'm not even taking it 24 hours at a time, now I'm down to 12 hours at a time.

On the way home I picked up the peroxide/baking soda/Ivory soap stuff to deskunk Buk.  Sam and I worked on that this afternoon and there is a big improvement-the stuff works!

I'm eating Motrin like candy to help with the back pain.  Massage therapist appointment on Tuesday.  All I need to do is get through it until Sunday night and then I'm not doing anything that doesn't need to be done.  I'm still waiting to hear the test results from the vet for Neko and her bladder issues.  Leon the Maine Coon threw up all over my bed this morning so the washer/dryer is running on overtime.  But there are bright spots here and there which help a lot.  As soon as I can, I'll post a picture of the scotch tape dispenser I saw at the grocery store that came home with me.  All I can do is laugh every darned time I look at the silly thing!

And that's what I need to get through this next week.

I admit to getting tears in my eyes when I walked into Andie's hospital room and could hear Tristan's heartbeat for the first time.

It was priceless.