A Roller Coaster Life

[Gil has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room]



Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.

Gil: Oh?

Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!


Gil: What a great story.


Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it. ~from the movie Parenthood 1989
 
If you were to describe your life as an amusement park ride, which one would you choose? I'd definitely choose the roller coaster. It so perfectly describes my life with its ups and downs or perhaps I'm just in the midst of a bipolar episode.
 
The "home" that we visited yesterday was perfection. Just what both my mother and I want for Nan. A view of the ocean, the smell of the ocean, beautiful, clean, a happy staff, and happy clients, too. It would be almost like going home for Nan because she loves the sea so much and spent her summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts. But, for lack of *$13, 000, she won't be accepted. Their criteria is that a patient must be able to pay for a year. Forget that the patient will be 101 in a few short days and that said patient is not doing well. Okay. Moving on.

Last night the three of us trouped off to help with the ongoing moving and settling in. One great thing about this is that we find little treasures. Treasures that would otherwise be going to Goodwill I presume.

I came home with two sets of pajamas and an edition of The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. This is the edition where she shares how to reuse a vacuum cleaner bag. I can now reveal that my mother had been, until just a week ago, breathing the same rarified air that Dacyczyn breathed as they lived in the same town. This newsletter was from June of 1990. Wait a minute, wait a minute! This is the premier issue. Wonder if that's worth anything? Thirteen thousand perhaps? (Edited to add: My hopes have been dashed again...this is the issue that was sent to anyone requesting a sample.)

Edited to Add: * No way did I mean to imply that such a facility would cost only $13,000. Of course not! Nan lacks $13,000. She falls short by $13,000. Hmmm, sometimes being clear is so hard for me. This facility will cost three hundred dollars plus a day. But, considering that a dump costs $237.00 a day, we felt that the extra cost would be well worth the peace of mind. BTW, average daily nursing home costs in Maine are $206.00. Wonder how that compares across the country/continent. (Gotta love the Internet. *Here* is my answer.) Double BTW, no medications or medical supplies costs are figured into that amount.