New Digs

In mid-February, my daughter who lives in the North End of Boise found a carriage house (built sometime in the early 1910s) she thought perfect for me.  She never liked my apartment; she thought it too gloomy and dark; I didn’t.   However by March 1st, I was in the carriage house.  It’s a tad smaller than my apartment, but it has a great spot for a garden and we’ve got the grass growing green again and flowers.  Most of my immediate neighbors have introduced themselves.  And the cats – they are in heaven.  In and out, in and out.

It was a freakin’ chore to get stuff together & out of a third-floor walk-up – not to mention tiring.  And stuff was still in boxes until last weekend when I went through everything to decide what was to be in the house and what is to be in the shed out back for a small while yet.  We’re into the fine tuning stage….knick-knack placement and other minor ‘house management’ issues.

Two things:  I need a new tea jar.  And, I need at least three more fans.  This place doesn’t have air conditioning and I’d much rather live with the heat than go through the expense of getting an air conditioner, etc.  Fans will be fine.

So, I’m back to paying attention to the news.  I’m thinking of throwing cable to the curb because I’ve been outside more since moving than I have in the last 4 or 5 years, and I know over the summer I won’t be watching much TV.  And! I got the disc to watch movies from Netflix! via the TV using my Wii.

Here it is in all its battered glory.  The pink chair is for my granddaughter when they swing by on their bikes.  They live half-mile away.  Added a Cherie Buckner-Webb yard sign last week.   Perfect touch.

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Suicide By Car or How the Woychicks Invited the Driver to Join Them in the Crosswalk

According to the Idaho Statesman this morning, the driver responsible for the deaths of Tom and Mary Woychick last month at Parkcenter Blvd & Gossamer Lane is John W. Tiemann. They were almost home.

Here are some tidbits:

• Mr. Tiemann is 58.
• Mr. Tiemann was driving a Honda CRV (according to previous reports, it was a Honda Pilot – described as an SUV).
• Mr. Tiemann ‘thought’ that “either or” (Tom or Mary) waved him through the crosswalk, so he didn’t slow down.

According to a collision report filed with the Idaho Transportation Department, Tiemann tested positive for alcohol and drugs in blood and urine tests. Tiemann could not be reached for comment.

First off – BULLSHIT!!

No one waved this asshole through the crosswalk.  The Woychicks weren’t idiots.  Crossing as wide a corridor as Parkcenter Blvd, they would not have signaled anyone in a vehicle to go on through the crosswalk when they were IN it.  They were wonderful people, but they would NOT have endangered their partner’s life or their own so Mr. Tiemann could get onto to whatever he was doing without stopping.

Then there’s the even more interesting: “…Tiemann tested positive for alcohol and drugs in blood and urine tests.” Boy, your butt better be covered.

Mr. Tiemann is lying.  And, of course, the Woychicks aren’t here to dispute his claim, but by golly – I will be.  This is a case I’ll be watching and actively following like white on rice.

UPDATE (10/14/2009):  Since there have been a few comments regarding the correction from the Idaho Statesman on Mr. Tiemann NOT testing positive, here’s the post regarding the correction.  It matters little to me.  I simply don’t buy much of what anyone says when they run down two people in a crosswalk, kill them, and use such a lame-ass excuse  as ‘I thought they waved me through.’  It’s been almost two months now and still nothing on the ramifications for Mr. Tiemann’s ‘driving error.’

They’ll Undoubtedly Will Be Missed

One of the greatest periods of my life was a 2-year span spent at St. Paul’s Student Center while attending BSU.  There were several of us that did a lot of stuff together – a good 7 to 8 most of the time, sometimes more.  For a good long while we would spend Fridays at someone’s home for lunch where we often had spaghetti, salad and bread.  We didn’t care; we were all together talking and arguing over all kinds of topics.  During Lent, we’d head down to to Skippers on Broadway (that is now some Mexican fast food place) for their lunch buffet of fish, chips, and chowder – and hush puppies.  There were parish dinners and picnics,  retreats, and those other occasions for just drinking.  We’d sit around playing backgammon, bullshitting, giving Sister Ellen and any other of the other staff a hard time.  And sometimes we’d even go to daily Mass at noon just to shock Fr. Bill.   Bill Steuber was the priest and it really was quite a  dynamic little  parish.  I even served as a Eucharistic minister and sometime sacristan, and I also happened to serve on the Parish Council, which is where Tom and Mary Woychick come in.

They were a couple who attended St.  Paul’s as some of their kids were attending BSU the same time I was.  Yesterday morning this couple was killed as they crossed Parkcenter Blvd on their way home from morning Mass.   Truthfully, I didn’t know them well other than knowing they were Mark’s parents –  and made little attempt as their being someone’s parents was somewhat off-putting – even though I was a parent myself  (my own daughter was around 7 at the time).   Now, having some time to think about it, they were probably younger than I am now.  However in serving as sacristan or Eucharistic minister I did have many occasions to speak to Mary – all I can tell you  is this.  She was a sweet, quiet, and busy woman, and this does sounds totally like them because I do remember that much about the parish; most of us were involved.

Our Lady of the Rosary Monsignor Dennis Wassmuth said Thursday morning the Woychicks were deeply involved in their church and the community — spending their time volunteering for groups like the Corpus Christi House, YMCA, and the Red Cross and helping out at Our Lady of the Rosary…… Mary was an active volunteer at a homeless day shelter and worked tirelessly to plan decorations at the church.

I’m still stunned, and especially sad for their eight children.   I think they were those kind of people we often think about who personify the gospel of Christ, and who really are few and far in between, and sometimes we don’t even know it at the time.

More Homefront Fuckery

Since this is one of the places I vent – especially in light of the issues of having guardianship over and dealing with my father – does anyone remember my mentioning this:

Fortunately we found him a lovely place, lovely, without too much hassle.  Okay – notwithstanding that on his second day he told a 19 year-old CNA that she had a “nice crotch.”  We clipped that shit in the butt – post haste.  Not only is it so fucking inappropriate but it GROSSES US OUT!

Yeah well, we thought we had that taken care of until the next episode.  The first three days my father was in this care facility I was over there a total of 8 times.  Eight! Not to see him but to deal with his comments to staff and inappropriate touching.  We got that squelched for the moment, not forgetting to mention to the social worker that it was also up to the staff to set boundaries.  My father is saying inappropriate things to them, not me or my sister; he doesn’t.  He rarely says inappropriate things in front of us either because of our reactions, and I’m pretty darned sure he’s aware of just how we will react.

Ah well, as they say, c’est le vie….of course – at the time, that’s not exactly what I say.  I’m working on the patenting of multiple variations of the ‘F-word.‘

All right so my dad found a woman, Dorothy, whose dementia is significantly more advanced than his.  His is not all that advanced.

Off to See the Ocean

It’s been five years since I’ve had a vacation of any sort, and driving cross-country returning home didn’t exactly count.  My sister and I decided we need an “ocean fix”  so we’re loading up my father, my two nephews, my sister, and me and we’re driving over to Vancouver to see my father’s eldest sister – who will be 93 on Thursday.  Then we’re going someplace to hang out for several days to read, sit, walk, and visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium as we go thru Newport.

I’m hoping for a bit of revitalization.

An Actual Dad-Free Day

Actually was able to be at home all day, puttering – even took a bit of a nap with all the cats. I’m working on a way to describe the fuckery that has occurred in which my father finds himself – well, actually WE find him damn near penniless – he worries for a few minutes and then forgets until later that day or in the week or the next week.

We go to court for permanent guardianship in a few weeks. But today was a free day without wondering or worrying.

One Hurtle Down

The judge signed the temporary guardianship papers yesterday for one of my sisters and I to be co-guardians of my father.   This means there will be a hearing scheduled in the next 60-90 days for permanent guardianship.  We have a conservator who will handle our father’s estate (property, etc.) and measly pension from the VA and Social Security.

Now . . . things are going to be hitting that proverbial fan when certain siblings find out, ‘cuz their gravy train has lost its engine.