I haven't had time to visit the board much lately but I had to come to say
Thank You Sideshow!! The wish I made for my father was granted and I did not expect that at all.
Last year they granted a wish for my mother (she had been stuck taking care of a sick relative, sacrificing alot to do it) and although I wanted something for my father after the year he's had, I really didn't think I should ask for anything. Then after a disasterous week for him I did anyway but I didn't tell anyone. You should have seen his face and heard the laughing when he saw the package.
The gist of it is that it was like a sequel to last year. Last year one of the things my mother had to sacrifice was being mayor. My father ended up being elected by write in vote even after telling everyone he did NOT want the job. A since of duty had him accepting the job reluctantly. This was the begining of the troubles.
First, It turns out the town had fallen into deep trouble in the months my mother was out of office. The town is tiny so the mayor has lots of unpaid duties most mayors don't deal with but my father discovered something else. Let's just say that in particular there was a certain employee and bookkeeping. My father had to dig it out, going to the town hall before dawn, going back after work at 11pm, working on it in every free moment of the day. He's had to deal with government agencies, lawyers, etc.
Second, we have a family business that really consists of three people. The town stuff pulls him away from work and we aren't keeping up. Customers are not surprisingly upset at missed dead lines.
Third, my brother is adding an addition to his one bedroom family home. Trouble is, he drafted my father into designing and supervising the contruction. In effect we are building. The weekend don't let my father rest but have us all up early to head to my brother's where my father works harder and longer than anyone.
Fourth, things at home get neglected because of all this. The ancient wiring in my parents house went so they are stuck without electricity until there is time and money to fix it. (And my heating is out so I can't invite them there) That sort of thing.
Finally, my mother developed a scary health problem that has my father worrying and looking after her. That was the thing too far that had me making a wish for him.
No matter what he does someone is complaining he should be doing something else. No one besides my mother and myself realize how exhausted he has gotten. All he seems to get are complaints!
The weekend after I entered it just got worse! Working on my brother's house we all got injured! Not my brother and his wife had excuses for not helping, but first I pulled my back (for the first time ever), then my father threw his out, and then real disaster struck. The edge next to the foundation gave under my mother and she fell seven ft, pulling out her arm trying to catch herself and stopped at the bottom by cinderblocks. Thanks to her new medicine she was hurt worse than unsual. The good news is that she's mostly recovered now but is has been a painful few weeks.
Anyway, the package has had us all laughing again. I've had to insist my father keep it in the shop office where I can see it, so that he doesn't open it early. He keeps threatening to look. All of us can't wait to see what it is, and I'm not giving Pop any clues what it could be. Sideshow is giving us the most fun we've had in months!!!
TO THE BOARDS!!!
