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Archive through January 07, 2010

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: January 2010 ~ April 2010: Home and Garden: TVCH's Home & Life Organization : Archive through January 07, 2010 users admin

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Landileigh
Member

07-29-2002

Monday, January 04, 2010 - 12:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landileigh a private message Print Post    
garbage all collected around the house and cat box is done. when holly is up, she'll take the cans to the street. laundry (except for towels - Holly's job) is all folded and put away. i see a pile of dishes in the kitchen, and i know somewhere under there is a sink to be shined. i'm THINKING about it. we'll see how far i get today. lol!

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Monday, January 04, 2010 - 12:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
good job Landileigh, the trash and kitty box is always one of those jobs I hate, LOL.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, January 04, 2010 - 2:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Oh drs visit was fine, it worked perfectly taking Kota with me to pull the oxy tank along. The office was a little more crowded today than usual but not too bad.

However, the bank trip...I am absolutely livid. Aunt has parkinson's, though she doesn't like to admit that, and can barely hold a spoon let alone a pen so since I've been taking care of her I write out checks and sign them for her. Once a month for almost three months, I have signed all her checks and if not me, then sis. Heck, I even took her in once and signed it in front of the teller because aunt couldn't do it. No problems at all especially since part of the process of cashing checks for her is for them to call her and verify that I can cash them. On top of that, they always ask me if I want to open an account with them, it'd be sooooo much easier to cash checks and we wouldn't have to verify with her. I always say the same thing...no thank you, I don't mind waiting while you verify in fact I like it because this assures aunt (and any social worker checking into what I do for her!) that I can't just walk in and get money out of her account. Over the last couple months they've been more and more persistant about me opening an account asking 3 or 4 times in one trip if I want to do it. It's gone past amusing to totally annoying and by the end of my visit I'm saying a firm NO through clenched teeth.

So go in today and hand the woman the checks, tell her aunts waiting for her to call, she does and verifies it, comes back and fiddles around talking to the manager, then calls aunt back. Tells her the signature doesn't match the sig card...aunt says yes I know, Sandy signs all my checks for me cuz I can't. They chat back and forth then the woman comes back and tells me she can't cash them until aunt signs and it matches the sig card. I said for three years I've done this every month with no problems, aunt is 80 with parkinsons, can't hold a pen. She says well the teller shouldn't have cashed them...I said well then you need to go to every teller and manager here (since they have to sign off on them too) and tell them that! Then she says well if she comes in she can add you to her account or you can open your own and we won't have to go through this...did she not hear me the first two times she asked saying this wasn't an option???

So I had to go back to the house and write out new checks and have her sign them...neither sig matches the other and neither will match the sig card so I'm guessing I'll have probs when I go back. I may end up having to take her with me if they won't cash them this time.

What really ticks me off is that the woman had aunt on the phone twice saying yes it's ok to cash the checks, yes I know she signed them, and the fact that no matter what we do the signature isn't going to match the sig card. Oh and that they're seriously pushing to get me to open an account.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Monday, January 04, 2010 - 3:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
You need to talk to the manager and get a permanent notation on her account about the signatures. And tell them that you want them to also notate that they should not solicit you for a account or you will move your aunts accounts to your bank. OR maybe it is time to get a power of attorney for signing checks, I know you don't want to have any appearance that you could take money from your aunt, but maybe you could limit the power of attorney to a dollar amount. LIke you can only sign checks up to $500 or something like that.

It is getting ridiculous that this is an issue, but it will only get worse as she gets older and her signature deteriorates, so it may be time to look into other ways to deal with her bills.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, January 04, 2010 - 10:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Oh, the manager was there, she's even worse about asking about me opening an account. Sad thing is last time I had problems at the bank, I did take aunt in, we talked to the manager and it was all supposed to be taken care of, but that was about a year ago. Not sure why now all of a sudden there's a problem again.

She does have the legal paperwork set up to have sis be her POA for both medical and financial stuff if/when needed. When she was doing the paperwork she gave us the option of which one of us and when it comes to medical stuff, sis has a better grasp of things than I do having had some schooling in medical areas. And it made sense to keep the POA for both with the same person rather than both of us. Thing is, aunts perfectly sound to make her own decisions right now it's just physically that she has problems.

I did make it back to the bank and instead of being a huge pita, it was very simple. I got the same teller, she took the checks and did her thing and started to give me cash and I actually had to stop her and say, You are going to call and verify with her aren't you??? Sorry, we have it set up this way for the ease of mind on mine and aunts part, you've got to call. She was peeved but by then I didn't really care.

So I finally got them cashed, ran by the pharmacy for bil, and then back to the house to drop off her money and grab the grocery money. That was about my day, except that I did go back out this evening to pick sis up from work cuz I wasn't the only one to have a bad day.

Bil dropped sis off for her first day of work, and his first day as the only stay at home parent. They'd no sooner pulled into the parking lot than baby niece started throwing up. I'd just shown up at aunts this morning when he came in with the baby almost naked and threw her in the tub. He said they'd pulled a hair out of her mouth and thought she had gagged on that...I kept telling him she didn't look well. Sure enough, she threw up a few minutes later and continued to do so the rest of the day. He'd had to pull her carseat out of the car and hosed it down (still wasn't dry tonight!) If it'd been any other day I'd have taken the older two girls so he could just focus on the baby, but couldn't do it since I wasn't home most of the day.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 1:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Tuesday's Mission

Tomorrow I have to do aunts grocery shopping, but that's later in the afternoon. I will probably also run my paperwork over to the office and may take Kota to exchange her jeans. Also need to run back to the pharmacy cuz I just haven't been there enough lately. I want to get some cleaning done around the house too. Not sure what else I'll be doing.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 2:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
One thing we did with my friend John, when he got to the point of not even being able to sign an "X", was for his daytime helper to use the ATM at the bank to pull out the needed cash. She always left the receipts so I could monitor (NEVER had a concern about honesty in the 3yrs she helped up until his death, I would have trusted her with my own paycheck).

If you're going back to your Aunt's anyway to deliver the pharmaceuticals, you could just produce the ATM receipts. Granted, that method doesn't give you the tracking/documentation for Social Agency.

I think I would have another discussion with the Bank Manager. Ask pointblank 'if this bank has a policy of discriminating against clients with disabilities'? Explain all the hoops your Aunt & You have already jumped through and now THIS!

Very likely the Bank is putting pressure on all the tellers to be more active about pulling in new accts, via bonuses or employee performance reviews, given how all these new banking/credit card regulations are going to hit IIRC in February.

Think I would also mention to the Bank Manager that I would be seriously considering bringing up the topic at my next "Caregiver" training session - that THIS bank appears to discriminate against disabled clients by making their process as difficult as possible. THAT might get them to put a 'serious' note in Aunt's file, to make the tellers more cooperative. Just a thought.

One problem we had with John's bank (while he was still able to get out of the house) was when they stopped allowing him to get rolls of laundry quarters via the drive thru window. Making him hobble inside (risking falling, which is not good for AIDs person perhaps blood flying & bloodborne pathogen concerns). I just had a little 'heart to heart' chat with the bank manager. Problem solved immediately. Sometimes one has to get a tad more forceful in PR terms the bank can grasp.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 2:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Funny thing, now that I remember. Even I didn't know John's ATM Pin number. Only John and his wonderful Helper knew the number.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 3:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Oh weird...I told bil if I had trouble the second time around I'd have to come back and get aunt to take her back. He said if they want that, you need to have a chat with them and explain to them they better have someone there who can help pick her up off the floor....or someone willing to clean up cuz the only other option would be to take her in the wheelchair and she gets seriously motion sick in that (which is why we use the wheelchair only when absolutely needed.)

It does make you wonder what happened to customer service (and human compassion!) For some people, even a small trip to the bank can be a huge undertaking and especially with something like banking it's not like they can just avoid doing it cuz it's a hassle.

We thought about an atm card the last time we had problems but it won't work for us (at least not easily.) When I go to the bank for her, I get all the cash she needs for the month. Most of it is gone as soon as I get back to the house...money to me for groceries for the month, money to bil to buy her companions cigs for the month, money to his caretaker. With the limit on how much you can take out of the atm machine each day, I'd be running back and forth for days.

Heh, I think I'll tell them next time I'm there that if it's going to be a huge problem, we'll just move aunts accounts over to my bank and then I can transfer money from her account to mine online and withdraw the cash from my account. Her and her companion have been customers at the bank for 25+ years, they don't want to lose them. I certainly don't want that easy of access to her accounts, but if they keep giving me problems and pushing to open an account, I might not have any other choice.

My aunt totally trusts sis and I and we trust each other and I know I'm trustworthy. But, she's been burned by a caregiver before and I don't ever want her to be concerned about that again. And again, because of the services she recieves, she does have a social worker and I'm accountable to them so I don't want any questions there either. Aunt gets all the reciepts, she's sitting right there as I write checks and balance the check book, I keep detailed records of how much grocery money I spent and whats left, if there's any at the end of the month, I carry it over to the next month. I don't really like dealing with other peoples money, lol.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 4:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
War: With the limit on how much you can take out of the atm machine each day, I'd be running back and forth for days.

Good point! I totally forgot that part.

War: I don't really like dealing with other peoples money, lol.

I am totally in agreement with you there! It's always worrisome and never knowing that somebody can come back later to squabble for whatever reason, people that have never lifted a finger to help. Like vultures later actually.

Maybe the threat of moving her acct. over to YOUR bank would make that bank more cooperative. Bummer of a deal! Best Wishes!

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 10:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
I thought you could adjust the amount you take daily, I have some friends who can pull $500 a day. Oh but then you probably have to talk to the bank people and they don't seem to have the brightest bulbs, LOL.

I didn't do much last night, I got home from work and was really tired, then got really cold. I did manage to clean up the kitchen, pull some more stuff out of the fridge and run the dishwasher. Then I crawled into bed with the kitties to get warm, LOL.

Landileigh
Member

07-29-2002

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 10:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landileigh a private message Print Post    
so i did the dishes last night. the ones that wouldn't fit into the dishwasher are ready on the counter for the next load, and after holly unloads it, i'll load it back up. but i did shine the sink!
she folded the towels and so the laundry is complete. 2 crowns to be done this morning, and then i'm done with all of my dental work. it's starting to feel like i have a brand new mouth! next year when the insurance kicks in again, i'll be able to get my partials, and noone will ever know what a terror my mouth was.


Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
I did something this morning I haven't done in a while...slept in late, lol. That was fun, but now I find myself just dragging, haven't done a thing yet. Think I'll go start with the kitchen and see how far I get.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 11:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Wednesday's Mission

I got the kitchen done, picked up in the living room, and got a couple loads of laundry done (my aunts.)

Picked sis up from work and we headed to Costco. It was nice with the holidays over and being an early afternoon mid-week, a little busy, but not too bad. We managed to make it through fairly quickly. Since I do the majority of aunts grocery shopping at Costco, about once every 3 or 4 months, I'll end up making a smaller than usual trip since she's been well stocked up. That was today. There were also a few things that I picked up last time I did my shopping (like tomato paste, potatoes, and onions) that I won't go through in a month and had already offered to split up. Took us about 45 minutes to get through the store. Went back to the house and put all the groceries away and was home and cooking dinner by 4:30.

Darren and I made a quick run to Walmart to pick up aunts toiletries and a few things for us (needed more gladware bowls for his lunches and some fruit.) Huh, speaking of that I don't remember seeing the bananas, I'm going to have to look for those!

Tomorrow I'm just doing some cleaning around the house. Nieces want to come over and play and I said that was fine...as long as they are all healthy. Baby niece was vomiting yesterday, middle niece today. Waiting to see if oldest niece or Dakota starts. Then sis wants to go recycle cans, which is fine by me since I have some to take over too.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 - 12:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
You got a lot done, Wargod! I unloaded the dishwasher, ran a spy-bot check on my computer, watched my General Hospital tapes, and tried to figure out how to get my coat rack back up on the wall. I figured out that I need some new screws with toggles. I thought I might have some toggles in the masses of screws that I have in my toolbox, but noooooo! I did realize I need to spend some time organizing the toolbox though, LOL.

I need to take out some trash and recycling when I get home tonight and I did the mission last night, yeah!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thursday's Mission

It was a good thing I got a lot done yesterday cuz I got nothing done today. I woke up this morning feeling seriously queasy, took some tums, sipped some water, took some tums, etc. I wasn't really feeling sick, but the thought of food, even too big a sip of water, was making me gag. Figured it was kind of a weird thing...two of my nieces were sick earlier this week, but bil thought they might have eaten some bologna that wasn't all that good so I didn't think I'd caught anything from them. Didn't have a ton of energy, but I went and got the nieces to come play.

They'd been here about an hour when it hit full force, terrible stomach cramps, queasiness, not really vomiting much cuz I hadn't eaten anything and drank very little. By the time Darren got home at 2 I was on the couch with a bowl and bil was on his way to get me gingerale and pick the girls up. I finally made it off the couch around 8:30...Darren picked up fast food for dinner on the way to school and the kids had frozen burritos. I'm feeling better than I was at the worst of it but still feel pretty crappy, still can't even think about food, and haven't done more than take small sips of the gingerale. I've already warned the kids we'll be going to bed soon. Only good thing is if it is the same thing the girls had, it only lasted a day.

So for right now, no plans for tomorrow at all. If I feel better, I'll do some cleaning, otherwise I'll just take it easy.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 6:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Oh NOOZ War! Just take it easy tomorrow. We always figure that us Big Girls can't get bad bugs from the tiny little nieces, but then it hits us in the gut like who would have ever guessed could happen.

Feel better quick, okay?

Landileigh
Member

07-29-2002

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 10:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landileigh a private message Print Post    
wellllll, i'm back to the dentist today. i thought all was done, but nooooooooooo. one tooth we thought could be saved. can't. so out it comes today. i'm sooooooooo tired of this.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 11:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Ack Landi!! Will this be the last of the dental work then? Seems like you've been going through it for the longest time. I'm sorry you have to have more work done.

I'm thinking the little ones got off easier with this bug than I am. I had a horrible nights sleep, tossing and turning, stomach cramps, little more vomiting. Middle niece cried and cried Tuesday cuz her stomach hurt so bad...I totally get that now. I've still got the cramps but I'm also really sore this morning, like getting socked in the gut repeatedly. Don't think too much will be getting done today.

It's probably my own fault since I teased bil about it the other day. He's been laid off for several months this go around, but this is his first week of being the stay at home parent as sis went back to work. It literally started with pulling into the parking lot to drop sis off and the baby vomiting all over herself, her car seat and the car. I told him they were making sure he got the full effect, sick kids and nasty messes! He said they're putting him through hell week just like when he played high school football, lol.

You're right though, Bisc. Monday when the baby was sick and then Tuesday with middle niece...I never stopped to think about getting sick. They wanted to be held and cuddled and I opened my arms right on up for them. I treat them the same as Caleb and Kota, they're sick and want comforting, I'm not going to stand back and go, sorry, I don't wanna catch your yuckies.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Oh man, what a drag! I didn't do to much, just the usual clean up the kitchen. I asked my sister to pick up some toggle bolts for me when she goes to ACE so I can put my coat rack back up.

Once I finish my lunch (I am working from home today) I plan to take the recycling and trash down to the bins.

Oh, I did get the outdoor lights down this morning and I put away my box of decorations, I guess I will take the tree down this weekend, or if it warms up today maybe later.

Feel better Wargod.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Ohhh, can I just say how happy I am to hear you say that, Dipo? LOL, I thought I was the only one with Christmas decs still up and was a little embarrassed to even admit that!

Dfennessey
Member

07-25-2004

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dfennessey a private message Print Post    
Well Little Christmas was yesterday so I think it is safe to say you left them up for little Christmas.

Landileigh
Member

07-29-2002

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 12:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landileigh a private message Print Post    
i have to have the permanent crown put in on the 26th, then i have to wait 2 months or so for everything to heal up again after this tooth extraction, so I can get my partials.

btw, i am NEVER EVER EVER having a tooth extraction done without being put out. most miserable experience of my life. i will have nightmares about chisels.


Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 1:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Landi, I went through the same thing with my wisdom teeth. Nothing but a local and valium (cuz the dentist freaks me out.) I didn't feel nothing and couldn't have cared less if I did (with the little bit of valium, he could have gone through my belly button to pull those teeth out) but I still have nightmares about him with one knee on the table for leverage and the nurse with her hand in the middle of my chest holding me down as he yanked and pulled and tugged that one tooth out. OMG, horrible experience.

LOL Dfenn!

Southern_grits
Member

10-08-2009

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 1:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Southern_grits a private message Print Post    
My Christmas decs are still up and this year will probably be a repeat of last year. Somewhere around the middle of February I'll get tired enough of my son's promises to take them down that I'll get fed up and do it myself. Just. Like. Everything. Else.