My Day

[grendel]

I am just recovering from this cold thats going around, i am just starting to feel human again mine started last thursday but the worst time was over the weekend.

[vanessan]

3 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

fully rapped up

one of these rappers by any chance? 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I missed the "W" .

[Maxwellian]

Thoughts are with you Griff. Sorry to hear about your loss.

[BroadAmbition]

Ok,

in hindsight I should have put our Macie topic on a separate thread. 

Here’s where we are. My daughter Nadine collected Macies  ashes today and brought her home to me.

(Myself and my Dale took her to the pet cremation service yesterday direct from the vets)

It was heartbreaking to see / hear my Grandson asking for Macie (He’s just past two)

Macie will stay here until sometime in the spring. Once we have got over the trauma of losing  MrsG’s Mum, (still with us - just) house n effects sorted etc and have got Laureen back home for good

The obvious venue for Macies  ashes is ‘Our’ special place on Malthouse Broad where my Mum, Dad and Dusty dogs ashes are.  Macie loved the boat and the Broads, to be more precise she just loved being anywhere her family was

However she really loved ‘The Field’

So in the spring we will spread her ashes here,  locally on what was her favourite game drive.

 ( I will be on that drive on 27th this month without her  that’ll be particularly hard )

I have cried buckets over Macies passing, still doing so.   I’m a ‘professional dog lover’ always have been  I knew it would affect me this badly, same thing happened for our previous two Retrievers.  It’s  particularly hard this time as me n MrsG are estranged so we have no one to hug, she is in bits but trying to be strong for her Mum  Macies bed, toys etc will stay right where they are now till she gets home

 

New puppy? New crew member on the horizon?

Can I put myself and family through this emotional roller coaster yet again? Have our hearts ripped apart for a forth time?

Yes. But not until the summer 2020. We need time to get over Macie. We need MrsG home. Lots to sort out for this family between now and the summer

Rescue dog perhaps? This is the most noble and proper choice. However fully trained gun dogs are not available from rescue centres

Both me and Son need a gun dog,?a proper un. The family need a new member they can love and more importantly trust around Grand children.

That means our forth Golden Retriever.  That means absolute £1:2k minimum. That means 18 months intensive training again. That means full on cooperation from all of us. Then there is the boat training too. 

Until then I’ll remain incomplete a penance I will bear again.  I’m heartbroken and it’s the price I owe her and must pay back

All that remains is to thank you the forumites for your heart felt wishes  I’ve received stacks of emails, txts etc more than a hundred from FB too

Thank you

Griff xx

 

 

[LizG]

Griff - did not Macie have pups a few year's back?  Have any had their own pups or expecting any so you keep a bit of Macie?

I think it is fair to say that you and your family are having a c**p year and 2019 will go down as a year to remember,  with happy past memories but none from this year itself!

I find it hard to believe that I started this thread and so many people have used it to tell us about happy events but also express their own personal sadness.  I don't think it should have been in a separate thread as that will just get lost in the mists of time whereas this thread says with us.

Tc Lx

[finny]

Well said Liz - its what makes us ......us .

Griff i know you are a man of high morals and would sooner put yourself out rather let someone down ( this i know when you did me a favour with a pal of mine a few years past on BA) but there is a Chap in Donny who needs a Cuddle with a girl who needs a cuddle in Scotland - Take a few days off iam sure your customers will understand under the circumstance 

Also you and the family need a Woofer in your life just as much as a Woofer needs to be in your family , you will know when the time is right 

take care Finny

[BroadAmbition]

Griff - did not Macie have pups a few year's back?  Have any had their own pups or expecting any so you keep a bit of Macie?

Macie did indeed, she would have been about three yrs old at the time.  Therefore her Pups are now about 8 n half.  Too old for pup bearing and if they have had litters, they are long gone.

there is a Chap in Donny who needs a Cuddle with a girl who needs a cuddle in Scotland - Take a few days off I am sure your customers will understand under the circumstance 

They current clients would - However it would make a proper mess of future bookings / commitments I have.  Those future booked clients are not related or friends, they have no idea of the current situation and nor should they,  and it'll mess them about.

Plus MrsG's Mum not in any sort of state to receive visitors, not even me.  She was given the last rites yesterday.  There is still a chance that me and MrsG may be reunited before Christmas. That all depends on when Mum tootles off.  MrsG is also upset of course at losing Mace and not having seen her for ages

Also you and the family need a Woofer in your life just as much as a Woofer needs to be in your family , you will know when the time is right 

Agreed - It'll probably be in the summer once we have agreed between us

Griff

[SwanR]

Everything in its own time.
The whole situation must be so hard for MrsG. Thoughts with you both. 

[grendel]

my day - last Friday.

well it was up with the lark, a 4.30am start as that is when I awoke, ready for work and off, a few delays on the way to work, but in before 8am, an hours work, then its time for the directors end of year briefing and our own team briefing. next was training a colleague how to do a specific thing in google earth, and by now its lunch time. since we have the company Christmas do this evening and its in Birmingham, we are allowed to set off at 1pm, so a quick rush to get another job out and then its out to the car with a colleague to head for Birmingham.

my plans had been M25 M40 M42 to the NEC, this was to avoid the M1 roadworks, but just as I approached the M1 turning all of the traffic signs started showing a warning J2 - J4 of the M40 were shut until 8pm, so turn off and up the M1, 50mph most of the way due to traffic and roadworks. so our 2 1/2 hour trip turned into 3 1/2 hours with my passenger talking work all the way.

after arriving we booked into the hotel rooms, to be fair I have had bigger rooms but it had all the necessary fittings and was comfortable.

the hotel where we were was the hilton at the NEC, so at 6pm when I recieved a call from another work mate asking which hilton hotel we were supposed to be at I answered - only to find she had gone to the one in the centre of Birmingham, oops.

at 7pm i went down and joined the throng around the bar, where the free champers and beer were being handed around, I was collared by the company Managing director who greeted me and said he would see me at breakfast next day (he is another early riser and is usually down as soon as breakfast starts like me) and at 7.30 we were ushered into the event room (I later found out the hotel was running 3 big events that evening, which they easily managed without getting the events merged at all,)

the meal was good, and we had entertainments in the form of a drumming group that got everyone involved using wooden spoons and kitchen utensils, that was great fun.

It was at this point I kept getting the ladies coming up to me and passing me their room keys to look after - well what could I say (it turned out that the ladies only had small handbags and had been told by the reception not to put their door keys next to bank cards or mobile phones, so as I had lots of pockets and was fairly sober I was chosen to look after them).

I say I was fairly sober, I had had a glass of the champaigne and was on my third bottle of cider at this point ( there was an ice bucket with beers and ciders and I was the only one on our table drinking the cider). the evening progressed with a band and dancing (which I managed to avoid) and a couple of video games that matched the ice spectacular theme for the evening.

amazingly though several people were drinking to excess, nobody embarrased themselves or the company, (well not before midnight when I sloped off to bed anyway - having of course handed back the keys to the ladies so they could get into their rooms (I have to get to bed before midnight to avoid turning into a pumkin) I had a nice lie in until 6am, when I got up, showered and was ready to face breakfast and the next day in general.

Normally at a hotel when I get up and head for breakfast as soon as the service starts at 7am, I am a lone individual for at least the first half hour, but this time was different, as the hotel also caters for the airline staff, the restaurant was full of tiny maroon airline stewardesses and air crew, al twittering around and having their tiny (egg on a slice of toast was the biggest I saw) breakfasts, I just went down the buffet line and loaded my plate with several of each option, yes fried egg as well as scrambled. this with a glass of orange juice was my first course, next of course was the toast and coffee, followed by the continental breakfast (i skipped the cereals). during this time I was joined by several colleagues all breakfasting and eventually my travelling companion showed up (I had impressed upon him that we would be leaving around 9am) so an hour and a half into the breakfast service, I finally completed my leisurely breakfast and headed back to my room, to get my bags and check out.

We left on the dot of 9am, and this time I was determined to go home via the M40, it was of course raining and visibility was not the best, but we got the best part of the way without issue, then the rain stopped, and the sun came out, this would have been nice except we were heading straight into the sun and the spray was terrible, making the driving difficult. anyway 2 1/2 hours after we had left I dropped my colleague back at the office, pumped his flat tyre up for him and lent him a spare tyre pump, then it was onwards for home, where I arrived at about 1pm

unfortunately this wasnt the end of my day as that evening it was my astronomy club christmas party, so once again I headed out and joined in the christmas cheer.

as is ever the case when a group of astronomers get together, it happened that I spotted the moon was looking lovely and went out with camera and new lens to get some more moon pictures, and was soon joined by several others also taking advantage of the clear skies. ten pm and we were winding down, by now i was shattered, so headed home and hit the sack, sleeping well after my busy 42 hours

[Ray]

Today, in a sure sign of my advancing years, I forgot the word "microphone" and had to settle for "the speak thing"

[Regulo]

I asked Rene if she wanted to watch "Mass Mirple" on the telly.

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Ray said:

Today, in a sure sign of my advancing years, I forgot the word "microphone" and had to settle for "the speak thing"

Best ever is still...

"What's that metal dealy, you use to....dig....food?"

"You mean a spoon?"

"Yes" 

[SwanR]

7 hours ago, grendel said:

the hotel where we were was the hilton at the NEC

Was that the Hilton Metropole Grendel? I've been there for work conferences as well. Quite a good venue and passable for accommodation. Shame the journey wasn't quite as straightforward as it might have been.

As for those roadworks on the M1 ... I had to go to Northampton yesterday. Noticed that the signs said completion in March 2022!! 

[grendel]

thats the one, huge place, we had a party of about 180 people, and there were two more functions of a similar size going on, yet everything was running smooth as silk.

[BroadAmbition]

Sssshhhhh, not too loudly now as my MrsG doesn't want her Mums death put on social   ' m e d j a '

This ain't  'M e d j a ' (FB / Instagram / Tweeters etc ) its the hallowed NBN so in my book doesn't count. Besides she never looks in here

BUT - after a phone call this morning MrsG tells me that Mum as of yesterday afternoon has lost the ability of speech.  She has taken no food for 48 x Hrs and only water via a wet sponge.  The doctor / Macmillan nurses - considering the amount of drugs that is being pumped into her can't quite believe she is still with us

I desperately don't want Mum to pass away on Christmas Eve / Day / Boxing day as it will ruin every forth coming festive day for MrsG.  It won't bother me much as us chaps tend to accept our parents passing away before we do as it is normal and natural whereas girlies never really get over their Mums leaving them.

So - If Mum goes in the next three days there is a better than good chance that 2 x grandchildren, 2 x children, 1 x husband, numerous other family members, friends etc will get our MrsG back home for Christmas Day.  Even if I have to drive up there to Gourock on Christmas day and bring her home.

The downside is of course that I won't be onboard 'B.A' 28 - 30th as I had planned - Good! - Never thought I would say that!  (But will still be game shooting on the 27th minus my beloved Macie dog)

Griff

[YnysMon]

Griff, I know (from experience when I lost my Mam, when you were very sympathetic, which helped me) that this is such a difficult time for you and your Mrs. Just hang on in there...family will get through.

Helen

[Regulo]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

It won't bother me much as us chaps tend to accept our parents passing away before we do as it is normal and natural whereas girlies never really get over their Mums leaving them.

Count me out of that. I miss my Mum every day, and always will. Her death certainly bothered me greatly.

[ExSurveyor]

I have to agree with Griff, my mum died after years of ill health and 12 years of desperately missing dad. I was glad she had found peace at last.

The old mother in law is still hanging around at 95, she is losing her mind and health but worse of all, her dignity. I find it so sad that every morning that she is lucid  she says, i don't want to be here any more..

For me, the dignified, intelligent and interesting woman i have known since i was 14  left 2 years ago to be replaced by a shell.

Most of us individually would say, I don't want to end up like that but, as  society as a whole, we constantly dodge the question and avoid finding an answer.

I will be sad when she dies, hopefully soon, but i have already mourned the loss of a lovely lady many months ago.

[grendel]

I think the time comes when you can see the inevitable end looming and just want the suffering to end, we can do this last service for our pets, and it saves them suffering (it hurts no less once they have gone, but the suffering has been avoided- a final act of love for them). for our human companions we have to suffer alongside them, and that too is hard, possibly as hard as having to make the decision of love to our pets, but in a longer more drawn out way.

Griff I hope that your Mother in laws passing is swift and without further suffering, so that you and Mrs G can once again be together to be able to comfort each other over mrs G's mum and Macie.

[BroadAmbition]

I got a phone call at 0200 this morning.  MrsG's Mum passed away at 0150.  She fought to the bitter end with her very last dying breath just would not let go, not what you would term 'Peaceful'  Now at last she is out of pain and torment.

This year for our family has been a really trying with one issue after another.  I've been to four funerals, the last one particulary hard.  So we should get MrsG home before Christmas day now, take a breath, shoulders back and start the new year, new decade off with yet another funeral, then sort out Mums house 270 miles away.

Come the spring we should be on an upward curve at last.  Onwards and upwards then

Griff

[SwanR]

My condolences to you and your family Griff. Safe travels for you all over the next days and weeks as you get life sorted out. 

[Ray]

Sorry for your loss Griff, especially for Mrs G. They used to call dying a blessed release and it can certainly be that but it always brings lots of mixed emotions and takes a while to sort your way through them all. At least you will be able to do this together and the best start is your 'onward and upward' outlook.

To happier times, a Christmas with loved ones and a peaceful New Year

[ranworthbreeze]

Sorry to hear of your's and Mrs G's sad loss, this time of year is never easy for anyone who has lost someone during this time.

Our hearts go out to you both at this sad time.

 

[FairTmiddlin]

Having lost my Dad at the age of 23. On Christmas eve the spirit of Christmas went from me at that age.

Although having kids and seeing the joy of Christmas in their eyes somewhat softens the blow, it never was the same .

Griff So sorry to hear of Mrs G's loss and hope you can raise a glass to the dear soul that was MIL together this special time of year as I shall to my Dad.