Airmiles Armchair Chatter

[bababear_50]

Jacqueline my heart goes out to you.
Deep breathe sweetie and know that it is going to be ok.
One step at a time Hon.
Call Airline,, change return flight ,,,do the best you can.
Your mom has others with her and knows you love her.
Breathe
Tight hugs being sent your way.
Hugs Mel

 

[Donald - my hero]

Risks of leaving home with this looming over our heads included this. My relationship was very complicated and I have long since processed that she's simply too toxic for my mental health so while there's grief around the finality of this I'm struggling with the fact that the decision we made to come was based on the fact that if she died we would still stay, but never discussed with the woman i consider more a sister than the ones i have by blood what we would do if things moved to bedside vigil mode. Apparently the tumor has grown significantly and they're not sure if she had a stroke or if that's what has caused blood surrounding it now. She's not in any pain but not really conscious other than brief periods of time when she smiles "with her eyes"

SO I don't need or want to be with mom while she dies (no desire to remember her like that, already said my goodbyes even if she wasn't aware of that!) I'm just worried about leaving chris alone with my obnoxious siblings Everyone is telling us to stay but I don't know if that's the right thing to do - I know, I know, there's no perfect answer for something like this.

I can't expect anyone to tell us what to do (the weather is a screaming stay until at least Sunday) but we don't know what the best decision is -stay and look callous or come home to support my family???
We've decided to cancel all of today's plans and just be a still for the day while we weigh our choices,

THanks for all the support and love gang, you're all part of my family by choice

 

[bababear_50]

Wise decisions are made when you give them time. Each family is different and only you know yours.
I made some similar decisions you mentioned above a few years ago and knew they were the right ones for me and my family. We stayed in Disney.
I've never regretted those decisions,, I had already said my goodbyes and my brother was unconscious and knew I loved him.
Take time for you & hubby.
Hugs
Mel

 

[damo]

Risks of leaving home with this looming over our heads included this. My relationship was very complicated and I have long since processed that she's simply too toxic for my mental health so while there's grief around the finality of this I'm struggling with the fact that the decision we made to come was based on the fact that if she died we would still stay, but never discussed with the woman i consider more a sister than the ones i have by blood what we would do if things moved to bedside vigil mode. Apparently the tumor has grown significantly and they're not sure if she had a stroke or if that's what has caused blood surrounding it now. She's not in any pain but not really conscious other than brief periods of time when she smiles "with her eyes"

SO I don't need or want to be with mom while she dies (no desire to remember her like that, already said my goodbyes even if she wasn't aware of that!) I'm just worried about leaving chris alone with my obnoxious siblings Everyone is telling us to stay but I don't know if that's the right thing to do - I know, I know, there's no perfect answer for something like this.

I can't expect anyone to tell us what to do (the weather is a screaming stay until at least Sunday) but we don't know what the best decision is -stay and look callous or come home to support my family???
We've decided to cancel all of today's plans and just be a still for the day while we weigh our choices,

THanks for all the support and love gang, you're all part of my family by choice

If Chris is fine with you staying, that should help in your decision.

I just went through something very similar but never shared. Last May, my 94 year old Dad passed away leaving my 95 year old mother (they still lived in their own house and were very healthy). My mom came to live with me and a month later had 2 massive strokes leaving her unable to talk legibly, eat through her mouth, have any bladder or bowel control, and unable to walk. She was also suffering from some brain impairment. After several bouts of pneumonia and UTIs in the hospital I brought her home to live with me. She desperately wanted to come home. Fast forward to a month ago, when she got pneumonia again after covid and was admitted to the hospital and of course that was two days before a scheduled holiday that I so desperately needed after caring for her in that state for many months.
Everyone questioned my choice to leave but I had to go. She was still alive when I returned two weeks later but during that time we were informed that she could pass away at any time.
She passed away 2 weeks ago.
In my mind, that was no longer my mother who was still alive in the hospital. I also had no regrets since I had done everything I could to care for her in her last year. I was at peace with her dying while I was away. I am still at peace. You need to make your own decisions and just make sure that there isn't something nagging in your brain that will come back to torment you.

Sending lots of hugs your way.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Risks of leaving home with this looming over our heads included this. My relationship was very complicated and I have long since processed that she's simply too toxic for my mental health so while there's grief around the finality of this I'm struggling with the fact that the decision we made to come was based on the fact that if she died we would still stay, but never discussed with the woman i consider more a sister than the ones i have by blood what we would do if things moved to bedside vigil mode. Apparently the tumor has grown significantly and they're not sure if she had a stroke or if that's what has caused blood surrounding it now. She's not in any pain but not really conscious other than brief periods of time when she smiles "with her eyes"

SO I don't need or want to be with mom while she dies (no desire to remember her like that, already said my goodbyes even if she wasn't aware of that!) I'm just worried about leaving chris alone with my obnoxious siblings Everyone is telling us to stay but I don't know if that's the right thing to do - I know, I know, there's no perfect answer for something like this.

I can't expect anyone to tell us what to do (the weather is a screaming stay until at least Sunday) but we don't know what the best decision is -stay and look callous or come home to support my family???
We've decided to cancel all of today's plans and just be a still for the day while we weigh our choices,

THanks for all the support and love gang, you're all part of my family by choice

There is no right or wrong. No matter what you do you may have a lot of feelings about it for a
long time after. In my own experience there is guilt and that’s par for the course. I agree that the coming storm is partially making a decision for you. It’s breathing room to think about it.

Remember you have support here!

 

[ottawamom]

Jacqueline, I sent you a PM. Thinking of you.

 

[bababear_50]

damo​

Hi Hon
I just wanted to offer my condolences on the loss of your Dad and on the recent passing of your Mom.
Bless you.
Hugs Mel

 

[bababear_50]

Look Look Look ... a Grinch 2023 Village House.
https://department56.com/collections/grinch-villages/products/every-whos-ribbon-bows

Ohhhh I NEED one!
IN STOCK AND AVAILABLE ON 08/25/2023.

Hugs Mel

 

[Debbie]

Jacqueline taking today to just be was wise. There wasn't anything you could do but be in the moment. Prayers that a resolution presents itself once the storm is over.
@damo, condolences on the passing of your parents.
There is no wrong decisions made, just different than others might make.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Thank you all for being so supportive, I can feel all of the love surrounding me from this side of the screen. We decided between the 2 of us that we will stay here for the same length of time but based on how yesterday played out for me that we won't go to any parks. I simply can't handle the stress inside my head and heart at the moment and adding the pressure of so many people, so much noise, stimulation, heat (OH good grief so HOT yesterday), my dietary restrictions, COVID-19 anxiety (eeek so many naked faces and visibly ill people!) I just feel raw and uneven, like walking on a floating dock is a good term I guess?

I've never been one to believe in signs or nudges from something bigger - don't mistake me here, my life is founded on a very strong faith but I never understood when people say things like "a butterfly landed on my shoulder and I know it was my dad saying hi" That is until yesterday, I'm going to get sappy and you can feel free to skip this post!
Woke up early and checked to see if I could get a reservation at Topolino's for breakfast, boom one available for 11:25 - been trying to get that for over 70 days now

I attempted to join the queue for Guardians and BAM, got into group 60.

The first character to the table at breakfast after i made the call to speak to Chris and get the news was Mickey - broke the cardinal rule and whispered in my ear that her mom died last week so she understood, probably sat there clinging to each other for a solid 2 minutes.

Got to ride GoG not once, not twice but three times thru the lightening lane because seeing a grown woman in tears while still fist pumping to the music and laughing the entire ride made them all happy as well. They also gave us a stuffed Baby Groot for Arthur (heck they would have given us everything in the store if we had asked)

Monorail over to Magic Kingdom to get to our dinner reservation at The Plaza before the After Hours event started and as we rounded the bend the sunset was just starting to colour the sky, took some pictures and noticed hours later there is a hidden Mickey peeking thru the ONLY clouds in the sky?!?!

Sat down to get ready for our dinner at the Plaza and left immediately after being referred to as a snowflake mask wearing lefty (urgh people can be so rude to each other!), stumbled to the curb, brushing more tears away and bumped into a very manager-looking person who whisked me over to one of the blue umbrellas. Scanned my magic band told me who knows what (we don't process much when in shock do we?) and handed me her business card- good flipping grief i spoke to the guest interaction manager for the entire Magic Kingdom but didn't know it till this morning! She refunded our tickets for the AH event to a gift card.

Been trying to get into Steakhouse 71 for months as well, poof, walk-up tables are available so over we go for dinner. I had forgotten that we ate at that location as a family in 1971 until my sister reminded me today. I spent most of the meal prep time wandering out back while talking on the phone with our kids and i guess my hubby passed on why I wasn't at the table - while we were eating another business card appeared at my elbow - we've been given an invite to see the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary hotel at any point this week from the manager of the culinary staff for the entire resort.

Looked at our phones on the very full bus back here last night We now had red screen warnings of impending weird weather - Snow blizzard with thunderstorms at home and here?! Red Flag Fire warnings? Seriously! The sky could rain down fire here because the humidity is so low and it's so hot (what the heck, the perfect weather for us, hubby loves the heat and I HATE the humidity) Ok mom, i get it, we don't need to come home.

Spoke with Chris this morning for a bit, mom won't last the weekend more than likely and we're all ok with that. She seems to be at peace, they're taking great care of her, the storm is providing Chris the gift of privacy she deserves to have while she grieves the loss of her best friend without taking care of my siblings as well, and I'm oddly settled myself now. We went to Disney Springs this afternoon after we decided that we won't be doing any parks - I don't want any of them to be tainted with the memory of getting the news of mom's death so we figured we would do the transfer of funds/tickets whatever in person.The cast member we dealt with was so gracious and compassionate I will never be able to express my gratitude. Between him and the front desk staff here all remaining 7 days of tickets have been converted to single day hoppers that are valid thru 2025. We got the value for the After Hours event at the Studios next week on a gift card because I didn't have my AMEX with me for him to compare (figured out later this is because it was thru a personal shopper!) He kept asking if we were sure we didn't want to go to any parks or did we want to think about it since we have a very long week left here and I muttered something about it being too busy anyways he gently asked if we thought we might be up to a park by next week. I shrugged while he passed me 2 hard tickets with our names on the backs - he actually bought us tickets to next Monday's After Hours event at Magic Kingdom HIMSELF! The little angel who comped us over $350 worth of tickets said he's uniquely able to fully grasp what's going on because he was literally in the same spot a few years ago. He was walking down main street when he got a call telling him that his mom was dying and he was trapped in Orlando, unable to fly out due to weather — what the heck are those odds?!

there's an odd sense of peace right now. We're going to head over to Fort Wilderness at some point and just sit on the beach, my mom never really liked coming to Disney (hell we came in a motorhome and she still had to cook all of our meals in a tiny oven!) but she loved to sit by the water and watch the boats. Hubby will have fried chicken on the beach and I will probably cry more but i think it will be a fitting place to start to say goodbye.
Pictures don't show a very happy Jacqueline this time around but i truly think this is the best place for me to be right now. Safe and protected, surrounded by familiar places, away from any responsibilities able to just take care of myself and my hubby (even if I am suffering due to his excessive dairy consumption today )

 

[ottawamom]

Glad to hear that you are doing "you" Jacqueline. Take care!

 

[Debbie]

Jacqueline, your words had me smiling and, while I know you are hurting, so many comforting happenings are surrounding you. Big hugs, some tears for what you are going through, and some prayers for a peaceful passing for your mom.

 

[bababear_50]

Jacqueline
Sending you Hugs
Mel

 

[AngelDisney]

Hi Jacqueline, enjoy your trip and embrace the magic! The pic with Donald is priceless!!

 

[juniorbugman]

Jacqueline - glad to hear you are doing you things and not trying to come home. The weather is just not nice here but it is nice and sunny now.
I hope that you share the sky with the hidden Mickey picture in it as I am sure we would all love to see it.

 

[Donald - my hero]

A few happier pictures from before the text came in

Had the best fries ever at D'Luxe - nothing in the fryer other than freshly cut fries -- OMG so good!!

First shot from the monorail, only intending to catch the colours in the sky

Second shot where the Mickey head is just a tad clearer, only a fleeting glimpse that I caught without realizing

 

[bababear_50]

It's Back,, Spring must be on it's way!

Get ready for a chance to win: March 6
Roll Up To Win™ returns March 6 with a new Daily $10K Jackpot. On top of the millions of prizes available to be won, every roll revealed earns you an entry and a chance to win $10,000 in American Express® prepaid cards

https://www.timhortons.ca/rollup

Anyone see that Universal Logo?
5 x Universal Parks & Resorts 4-Day/3-Night Trips for four to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, ARV ranges from $7,718.83–$14,579.00 CAD each (based on the average value of a hypothetical Toronto, Montreal or Calgary departure and selected Hollywood or Orlando destination);

 

[Debbie]

It's Back,, Spring must be on it's way!

Get ready for a chance to win: March 6
Roll Up To Win™ returns March 6 with a new Daily $10K Jackpot. On top of the millions of prizes available to be won, every roll revealed earns you an entry and a chance to win $10,000 in American Express® prepaid cards

https://www.timhortons.ca/rollup

Anyone see that Universal Logo?
5 x Universal Parks & Resorts 4-Day/3-Night Trips for four to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, ARV ranges from $7,718.83–$14,579.00 CAD each (based on the average value of a hypothetical Toronto, Montreal or Calgary departure and selected Hollywood or Orlando destination);

I haven't played Roll Up to Win since it went online. I don't go out of my way to go to Tims like I did when you actually rolled up the rim.

 

[bababear_50]

I haven't played Roll Up to Win since it went online. I don't go out of my way to go to Tims like I did when you actually rolled up the rim.

Yep
certainly a new learning curve for me, (I liked it better when you rolled up the physical rim).
To be honest I love my McDonalds medium coffee with a senior discount.
I hate McDonald's App though,, nothing like ten cars behind you and the App won't give me a code to use.
Oh well I'll give Roll Up The Rim ( Swipe The Rim ) a try this year.
Good luck to those trying.

Hugs Mel

 

[dancin Disney style]

It's Back,, Spring must be on it's way!

Get ready for a chance to win: March 6
Roll Up To Win™ returns March 6 with a new Daily $10K Jackpot. On top of the millions of prizes available to be won, every roll revealed earns you an entry and a chance to win $10,000 in American Express® prepaid cards

https://www.timhortons.ca/rollup

Anyone see that Universal Logo?
5 x Universal Parks & Resorts 4-Day/3-Night Trips for four to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, ARV ranges from $7,718.83–$14,579.00 CAD each (based on the average value of a hypothetical Toronto, Montreal or Calgary departure and selected Hollywood or Orlando destination);

One of the locations near me was already using the cups on Thursday. One of my coworkers goes everyday and she had the cups. She doesn't have the app so no idea is she got rolls for them...I suspect no. I typically go on Thursday and Friday after work for a tea but while they have roll up I'll likely go almost everyday.....odds are better than the lottery.