On Caregiving

[Front-Ranger]

Wow, let us know how the call to your bro works out!

[CellarDweller]

I"m not calling him, I've got nothing to say to him.   I don't mean that in a "we're fighting" way, I mean it in a 'there's nothing to talk about" way.  We see each other's posts on FB and that'show we're in touch.

[Front-Ranger]

Ohhh Kayyy.  Elaborate if you'd like.

[CellarDweller]

Nothing sad, just two very different people.

he's into sports, married, likes action and war movies, goes out drinking with friends, likes bathroom humor.

I like reading, single, watch comedies and horror, stay at home type, likes sexual or religious humor.

There's just not a lot of commonalities to talk about.

[serious crayons]

I've come to really appreciate how well my bro and I get along. When we were little we fought, and even into high school we had our spats over use of the car or whatever, but by then we had friends and social activities in common (we're a year and a half apart in age). Now we share a lot of friends, and although he's different in some ways (doesn't read that much, probably isn't quite as political as I am, is a geologist) we have enough in common that when we visit it's yak yak yak yak. As Lee can attest. 

But then, he has tons of friends in general -- and friendly friends, at that. I feel like I'm losing mine. A couple of once-close friends are now more distant (though we're still on friendly terms) for reasons I don't fully understand, and others are perfectly friendly but have become more of homebodies. That and my relative isolation at work have made me feel really lonely at times when the kids are away at school. And soon they'll be away-away -- and both swear they will not be living in Minnesota.

That's the main reason (that and the climate) that I keep thinking of moving to Denver. I'd know Lee, my brother, and a couple of other people, and hopefully I could meet their friends, who seem a bit more active and outgoing than my own.

I interact with a lot of people on FB whom I've never met in person. Or, in some cases, just met once. I got one of my part-time jobs thanks to a referral by a woman I'm friends with on FB (we have mutual friends) but have never met in person.

Then there's you guys!  ! As on FB, I haven't met you all in person, but one of you I'm hoping to meet in a couple of weeks! 

[Front-Ranger]

What caregiving issues would we like to talk about? It can involve pets too. Maybe, I don't know, new cars as well! 

[brianr]

My sister and I chat on Skype every morning for about 20 minutes or more unless I am going out. Due to the time difference, I ring her at 7.45am my time but 5.45am her time. She gets up early to go down and collect the newspaper in her 8 storey unit block before someone steals it. Her husband does not get up until about 8am so we have the time to ourselves.
We are completely opposite on politics so we usually avoid talking about that. Sometimes we argue and she has hung up on me but the next day we contact again as if nothing has happened. She is 10 years older than me and sometimes hassles me over health matters or tells me what to do which can be irritating.
She was upset when I told her I was moving to NZ but now accepts it was the best decision for me. We do miss going to the movies together. She sometimes goes with her girlfriend while I go by myself. Her husband has completely different tastes in movies. She visits me for about 10 days each year but will not leave her husband for any longer. He is showing signs of early dementia which is worrying.

[CellarDweller]

I think my dad may be going off the deep end.....he wants to vote for Trump.

[Front-Ranger]

 

[CellarDweller]

exactly