Well, it’s railfest weekend at Orange Empire Railway Museum (actually, it is the 2nd railfest weekend, as we skipped the 1st weekend due to S&F’s birthday). It should be a fun weekend: I enjoy both of my assignments (car house host and Thomas host). We won’t have to rush on the food, as we still have tons of leftovers from the post-funeral reception (we’re bringing the hi-boys (wrap sandwiches) for lunch). I’ll also bring my copy of Ticket to Ride, and hopefully I’ll get some time to play it in town hall. I still encourage those who can make it out to Perris to find me and say “hi!”.
Yesterday was an at home day. I began by taking care of paperwork, in particular, going through all the financial records I brought back from my dad’s files, with the goal of Quicken™izing everything. I now know where everything is, on which side it belongs, and what we owe and who owes to us. I’ve provided all this information to my step-mother; I’m playing the same role here as I do at work: I’m simply being an honest broker.
[Climbs up on soapbox]
Lesson Learned: I learned a lesson while going through the paperwork, as the task was harder than it should be. Those of you who have elderly parents (especially where one has already died and you’re the closest sibling to where they live): Please make sure you understand their finances, where everything is stored, what accounts are where, in what names accounts are held.You’re not doing this for any future inheritance; rather, to make life easier should something unexpected happen. [Hell, you should live your life to make yourself financially stable on your lonesome.] Additionally, there is always the possibility that your parent’s mental faculties will slowly deteriorate, and you might not easily recognize it. By knowing what is going on with them, you can detect when something odd is happening.
There’s a Shel Silverstein poem about a little boy and a little old man. This makes the point of how old people are in many ways like little children. We ignore them; we marginalize them. We shouldn’t and mustn’t do that. As adults, we will eventually be put in the position of being parents to our parents. That responsibility is more than just putting them in an old-age home, or wiping their mouths when they drool. Just as parents ask their teenagers what’s happening in their lives, and watch out for their finances, we need to do the same for our parents. Please make sure you do that for your parents. I didn’t always do that with my dad, fearing his wrath if I asked the hard questions. I should have.
[Gets down from soapbox]
Yesterday was also a day of cleaning. We cleaned multiple rooms. We found yet another source of meal moths. We did all the backed up laundry. This place is starting to look somewhat normal again!
Thanks to Temple Beth Hillel’s early “Come as You Are” services, I arrive back home early enough to watch Enterprise last night. I don’t know if others have been watching it this season, but I think they’ve finally hit the right groove. Last season with the Xindi was drek and unwatchable; this year feels like the original series again. Hopefully the audience will realize that.
Well, time to go play on the trains.
