On the Road Again

Willie Nelson said it best....On The Road Again. Today began this 5-day work week which will take me on another criss-cross of our nation's western half. PDX-SJC-AUS-SJC-PDX-SAN-SEA-AUS-SJC-PDX. And that will conclude the week.

I really should be home. Things are not all that great there. LoverBoy and me been a fightin'. MIL and me been a fightin'. LoverBoy and his Momma done been a fightin'. Things are in turmoil to say the least. And its so odd because this is not how we have run our home over the past 13 years. As of today, MIL is on Medicaid. That's what happens when any of us fail to prepare for our retirement futures. We end up giving back to the government our monthly Social Security checks in return for Medicaid taking care of our room/board/medications/nursing care in a nursing home or assisted living facility. That begins today. We're in the middle of packing up her former apartment. Her lovable old Pooch has been snatched up by a family friend -- and I miss him more than anything. LoverBoy has been on the phone many times a day and emailing back and forth with a wide variety of health care and government workers. They have been really very helpful and caring. We have begun to drive all around town looking at different facilities. The disappointing part? It doesn't matter where she ends up -- she simply won't be happy. There's always something wrong. Rarely does a visit go by that she doesn't cast a negative slant and glow on the room. Its depressing. And yesterday after witnessing her go off on a minimum-wage worker at her current care facility, I told her off good. And then marched my ass down to the front lobby -- my ears on fire, my pulse racing, my head aching, and my mouth in full gear. I've had it. Needless to say, I need to be home. For patching up with LoverBoy, for mending his broken heart, for helping do what I can to assist him. He knows I love him. Dearly. And he knows how much it doesn't make me feel good when I hurt him.

We've developed this lovely little habit of having Happy Hour each Tuesday night at one of our favorite local gay haunts Crush Bar. Their Happy Hour prices go all evening on Tuesdays so that's how the whole gig started. It feels like Cheers. Only we don't sit around the bartender. And there's no catchy song playing. It feels good. Friends do that for friends, you know. And we really need our friends right now. (Gawd, I sound like an old whiny, bitchy letch......which I hate.....).

Gotta run kids. I'm in Austin, Texas, tonight and I'm exhausted after a 3:45am wakeup this morning and a 03:30am wakeup tomorrow. I'm getting old. And I have to be happy and service people with a smile. Oh, wait, serve them with a smile may be more appropriate.