What it is, Man

Just when I thought time couldn’t move any faster, it picks up pace. Time is moving at warp speed for the Hula-gen’s right now. It’s not really because of extracurricular stuff. It really has more to do with fitting in the day to day stuff while managing Mama J.’s and Papa T.’s care. Out of respect for their privacy, I will forgo most of the details, but I will say that we have entered into a higher level of care giving that at times is almost overwhelming. I could blog for hours on that situation, and it would be very therapeutic to do so, but I won’t. I just accept that this is life, real life. It is hard and exhausting, but we take each day as it comes and recognize that making decisions about their future care is a process that unfolds at a pace dictated by the ups and downs of their health. That sounds quite PollyAnna-ish and makes it appear as if things are just hunky dang dory, so let me assure you there are plenty of days when I want to pull my hair out strand by strand or stand on the roof of the house and scream until I have no voice. Popeye always said, “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.” Well, it is what it is and that’s all that it is, but most of the time we’re okay with that.

The last few weeks rushed by us, and this week will be no different. It’s a little unusual in that I had a large event at work yesterday I had to plan and execute, I am shooting more of Teen Angel’s senior pictures (at the bakery) this week and shooting pictures at a wedding this weekend. I’m also shooting someone else’s senior pictures next week. Those are all things I truly enjoy doing, so it will be very fulfilling. That’s something I can really use right now to keep me sane inside the insanity. On top of that, the Hula-gen’s are in the process of making some big decisions regarding our future.

We are an inch away from deciding whether or not to build a detached garage that would include Hubby’s coveted Man Cave. (Are we remodeling gluttons or what?) We are also gathering estimates on a pool and will either pull the trigger on that or put it to rest in the next week. I am pondering making an investment in some photography equipment that would allow me to do some wedding and senior picture shoots throughout the year. I’m still working on my skilz, but I think I’m at the point where I can do enough of those shoots successfully each year to make enough travel money to keep us in vacations. There are many places Hubby and I would like to go, and we’re not getting any younger. We want to get on the road before the arthritis renders us unable to ride horses in the Grand Canyon. I truly love photography, even though I’m still pretty new at it, and I think doing some paying gigs would fund my equipment needs for the fun stuff and help us see the world a little sooner. In the midst of all of that, we are trying to narrow Teen Angel’s college search and get her prepared for all of the applications and scholarship searches that are imminent.

It’s just a lot to do right now. It’s all important, and it all requires a great deal of thought. For about a week now, my head has been about to explode by the time I go to bed, and thoughts roll around in my noggin until I fall into an exhausted slumber. It makes me think of that scene near the end of the movie Parenthood where Steve Martin imagines himself on a roller coaster and fights the urge to throw up. Our lives are a bit of a roller coaster right now, but it is what it is and that’s all that it is. And we’re okay with that.