Thanks Jim, your reply is really appreciated! The pup is "Rocky" named after the mountains, not Rocky Balboa. Although I keep singing the Beatles "Rocky Racoon" to him....Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck
Hi Jim, I had let my membership lapse and have been reading the forum from time to time, but haven't really felt like renewing until I read your post and it's worth the cost just to respond and to give you my condolences. What a month you've had. They lived long lives and I'm sure your Dad(s) are now in a better place, but that doesn't help with the hurt of losing them.
Love the pup. What's his or her name? I've wanted to get a Golden Retriever puppy for a while, but with all of my "world traveling" I've put it off. My son is home now and will be for a while so I'm thinking this spring after I get home from the Winter Star Party. We'll see.
Again, so sorry for you and your wife's loss. Take care my friend.
Jim M.
Shocking!: Another SCOTUS Victory For Trump!
Started by Rod Kaufman, 09/26/2025 10:02PM
Posted 09/29/2025 09:59PM
#10
Posted 09/29/2025 10:05PM
#11
I've known a few dogs named Rocky. When I first met my wife my future in-laws had a beagle mix named Rocky that could smile on command.Originally Posted by James Brown
Thanks Jim, your reply is really appreciated! The pup is "Rocky" named after the mountains, not Rocky Balboa. Although I keep singing the Beatles "Rocky Racoon" to him....
Posted 09/29/2025 10:08PM
#12
I'm glad I pushed you over the edge to renew your membership by the way. This forum is always slow in the summer time of a non-election year. There is a lot of stuff that could be discussed though! Someone has gotta help Rod keep the place alive. What we really need is a Trump supporter who is not insane. That could lead to some interesting threads.Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck
I've known a few dogs named Rocky. When I first met my wife my future in-laws had a beagle mix named Rocky that could smile on command.
Posted 09/29/2025 10:13PM
#13
No doubt, someone like Jim Babcock. Speaking of which, where is the screamer? He's been gone as long as I have. I had a contentious PM exchange with him and crickets ever since.Originally Posted by James Brown
What we really need is a Trump supporter who is not insane. That could lead to some interesting threads.
Posted 09/29/2025 10:15PM
#14
Rich does that now and then. We all do I guess. Russ has not posted in some time.Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck
No doubt, someone like Jim Babcock. Speaking of which, where is the screamer? He's been gone as long as I have. I had a contentious PM exchange with him and crickets ever since.
Posted 09/30/2025 04:03PM
#15
So sorry to hear about your losses. That's a lot to process all at once - I hope you and your family are hanging in there.Originally Posted by James Brown
Hi Rod,
Too busy? I never had a month like this when I was working! Exhausted is more like it. My wife's dad died at 95 in New York State early in the month. My dad died at 94 in Indiana two weeks ago. Lots of travel for us. Both men had long fulfilling lives, but still it is an emotional time. I was there in Indiana with mom and dad at their home in the woods when he passed. It was peaceful, not at all unexpected at the end, and I think without much pain. Still it seemed to come quickly (even though he has been sick for months) and it was very draining for me and mom to take care of him over the last few days and hold his hand as he took his last breaths.
Then two days after dad died, a very close friend in her early 60s died tragically and shockingly. It is an emotional gut punch, I am still reeling from it.
Four days before my dad died, my son got married in Crested Butte Colorado. It was a great wedding and very pretty. My wife and the bride organized the wedding and dinner the day before. That was tiring enough, especially for my wife, even without her dad passing just before. We love our new daughter in law. They are really happy. But I had to hop a plane 12 hours after the wedding to go support my mom! Home hospice was great, but they only do so much and the routine care was just me and mom. I don't regret it at all, we are closer now than we ever could have been before.
A few days after dad passed, my wife and I flew back to Denver to look for a new place for mom to live. She wants to be independent, but Indiana is not feasible. Mom and dad lived in a house in the woods on 56 acres. Mom would be too lonely there, even though town is just a few miles away. All of her close friends have died over the years (she's 91) and my brothers live in Virginia and California. She needs and wants to be near family. Colorado is not perfect for my brothers, but it is better than any other alternative. All of the grandkids either live here, or visit to go skiing once a year or so. Denver is an easy flight from San Diego and Dulles too. We are really looking forward to having her here.
We found a really nice senior independent/assisted living community with great apartments, a nice restaurant, a bistro, a bar, a theater and all the amenities. It is like a resort! We met lots of residents who were very welcoming and many of whom are widows too. I think mom will really like it. The logistics of moving her are taking a lot of effort and planning. Also, we have three funerals in early October. More trips to Indiana and New York. Yikes!
Then, as if things were not hectic enough... we got a puppy, on Monday, a week ago.
Seriously. We had reserved him when he was born, eight weeks ago, back when we, maybe irrationally, though both our dads had several months or maybe a year to go. The thinking then was that "after the wedding" would be a great time to train a puppy because we are both recently retired and won't be traveling for a while since we were taking care of aging parents. Funny how life is.
The puppy is a standard poodle from a local breeder. He'll be about 60-70 pounds when he grows up. He is multi-colored (they call it "black phantom" coloration) and it disqualifies him from being in a dog show! Fie on those pretentious, dog-show bastards. We were not intending on showing him in any case! We'll keep his hair cut in an even short trim all over, no frilly poodle cut for us! Poodles were bred as water dogs (they even have webbed feet) and we hope to train ours to be a strong hiker and a river-raft dog. He's wonderful, but now me and my wife are tag-teaming house training, trips to Indiana to help mom pack, a major move to Colorado, and three funerals. The pup is sleeping under my chair right now, so I have a minute to type, but don't expect me to post a lot between now and late October!
I started this post as a PM to Rod, but decided to post it generally. I'm not 100% sure why, I know that posting personal stuff is risky. But it has been therapeutic to write this down, and you guys are friends. Jim
Posted 09/30/2025 09:14PM
#16
Originally Posted by James Brown
Hi Rod,
Too busy? I never had a month like this when I was working! Exhausted is more like it.
I've decided it's a myth that you have more free time when you retire. I, too, have never been busier! Something always needs to be done, or there are family obligations to attend to, or doctors to see, and all of the other sundry items that have to be taken care of to keep a household and its occupants up to minimal standards of cleanliness and care.
My sincere condolences on your loss. We still have my mother, but at 86, she's declining before our eyes. She still lives alone, but that prospect is becoming more tenuous all the time. We just got back from spending a week with her to help her recover from a fall. Thankfully, no broken bones, but she's an ornery 86-year-old who vows never to leave her home, yet refuses to modify her behavior, and continues taking unnecessary risks. So, the likely outcome is that an eventual tragedy will force the issue. Until then, all we can do is be there to pick up the pieces. I tell my kids not to worry, that I won't fight when and if my day comes, but I sometimes wonder if it will be that easy. In any case, I'm glad you survived your ordeal and found something good about it, even though I'm sure it had its share of unpleasantness.
Posted 10/01/2025 01:05AM
#17
Hi Brian: Thanks, we are. I’m home with puppy, and my wife is in Indiana with mom. We’ll swap roles next week! I think the puppy is easier, even though he is a handful at 9-10 weeks old. Organizing dad’s funeral and getting ready for mom’s move is pretty darned tiring. I really got lucky in marriage!Originally Posted by Brian McFarland
So sorry to hear about your losses. That's a lot to process all at once - I hope you and your family are hanging in there.
When the puppy sleeps, I sleep, otherwise, I’ve been working on a slideshow for our family reception after the funeral mass. This photo of mom and dad from April 8, 2024 is super meaningful to me. We were thinking about going to Texas for the eclipse, since the likelihood of cloud cover in Indiana was pretty high. Blessedly, we decided to go to Indiana and risk the clouds. Perfect skies and mom and dad live on the centerline. Super cool family experience! 👍
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Posted 10/01/2025 01:06AM
#18
Wife and kid.Originally Posted by James Brown
Hi Brian: Thanks, we are. I’m home with puppy, and my wife is in Indiana with mom. We’ll swap roles next week! I think the puppy is easier, even though he is a handful at 9-10 weeks old. Organizing dad’s funeral and getting ready for mom’s move is pretty darned tiring. I really got lucky in marriage!
When the puppy sleeps, I sleep, otherwise, I’ve been working on a slideshow for our family reception after the funeral mass. This photo of mom and dad from April 8, 2024 is super meaningful to me. We were thinking about going to Texas for the eclipse, since the likelihood of cloud cover in Indiana was pretty high. Blessedly, we decided to go to Indiana and risk the clouds. Perfect skies and mom and dad live on the centerline. Super cool family experience! 👍
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Posted 10/01/2025 01:11AM
| Edited 10/01/2025 01:18AM
#19
Y’all know what this is! 😎. There is a pond down below mom and dad’s house and at totality all the spring peepers and bullfrogs started singing. It was amazing.Originally Posted by James Brown
Wife and kid.
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