Time to put away Christmas stuff and look toward the new year

Christmas comes and goes, but winter is sill with us. People back east will continue to shiver for some time yet while we in Arizona can look forward to balmy days in January, when the most delightful climate in the nation kicks in. It was mild enough yesterday that I did not wear a coat, just my scarf to keep my neck warm and my beanie along with a long sleeved shirt and levies. Boots, yes, no sandals yet, although some wear them and shorts year around like Doc. He only gets into his long pants and a heavy coat maybe once in December.
But we talk about the weather here just as much as they undoubtedly do where they have got real winter weather!
Our resident vandal hit the main laundry room again, cutting open the cash boxes on the washers and dryers with a drill so he could get at the money, and they are saying now management really must lock it at night, because putting a camera in the laundry room so it can be watched by security at the main desk is too expensive! Better lock it up than have to close it indefinitely for repairs. I am thinking I am going to have to cross to the patio wing and try the washroom on the 5th floor. I used to do my laundry there when I was hanging out with Pierre who lived in a large apartment that used to be a suite for movie stars to rent in the old Westward Ho hotel.



The family photo is of our Holiday Christmas eve party when Pierre was with me. I thought he looked funny in this photo, quite drunk, although he wasn't. He was very nervous, and had worked hard to add more decorations to an already highly decorated Concho room for our party. My ex Dean who who was the one who disappeared into the desert is on the photo in the back, looking wild. Our son Raymond brought him but had neglected to tell him I had a BF Pierre, so Dean thought Pierre worked for the hotel and had been asked to help with the party, since he was fussing so much over the food etc. Everytime he tried to talk to Pierre friendly like Pierre would excuse himself and go outside to smoke. It was a funny night. Now Dean and Pierre are both gone.
After one hoop de do night Doc settled back down to more prudent drinking which is bad enough. We have New Years to get through when he will undoubtedly have to do a little extra celebrating, but so far he has not alarmed me enough to think he is not long for this world.



My sister Margie in the photo called me Christmas day and she sounded pretty vigorous. She is always generous with her gift. Her husband is approaching 90, but he is still going out with her to attend basketball games, so I can't think he is too bad off yet.
I called my sister Ann to wish her happy birthday the day after Christmas. She was going on Monday with her husband Tom to get his eyes and teeth checked. He is having implants because the dentist was unable to make him dentures that he could use due to some scarring in his lower jaw from a previous surgery. Now he has found out that having implants is very painful. He wants to be able to eat more than soup he says so he is persevering. I have my teeth cleaned and checked regularly, so I am good, but Doc looks as though he should have his all yanked out. Since he does no maintenance. I know he won't have them pulled except when they give him pain. I am wondering if infection from his mouth can kill him. It surely can't be doing him good. Oh well, I can't let myself worry about it as there is no talking him into doing anything he is resisting.
Pierre was dying of lung cancer for a year and we didn't even know it. He was by death surprised believe me.

I worry about my sister Ann (photo below) who has no pancreas so is a severe diabetic. She is very disciplined about exercise and diet. She is the one who gets up in weather quite often below zero and drives down to the heated pool at the high school to swim! Yes! Amazing and remarkable. I think her husband's ailments are harder on her than hers, since he is experiencing a lot more pain from any number of sources. Pierre's lung cancer like to have killed me, too, so I know your companion's aches and pains can be dangerous to your health.


It's coming light, so it is getting about time for me to go in search of a laundry room. I am running low on clean clothes! Ta Ta!