Please no replies until the end.

Please no replies until the end. Or start a new message, instead of replying, I'll be able to see them if cluttered up.

I'm ready to come back (albeit slowly) #Thread

I'll be general in describing the traumatic events we had in the last week. I don't wish replies to these posts, start your own message if you want to comment

Those who follow my posts, know we've had some challenges.
I'll begin with that, to explain

Back in December, just before Christmas, I wanted to get money to my Adult children to help out. One couple has had a loss job, likely due to Trump (USA).
I'm still poor, we are pensioned & not new money, but I don't celebrate Christmas, we don't do gifts, the kids get money, any excuse will do.

/more.. so much more

#Thread

#Scotiabank pulled out of our area, and left us with no means to do basic banking, we have to go to the city. The day I left to deposit money in their accounts, it was -11 C.
As we were leaving the driveway, a brake hose blew. In the city, I can replace this in the driveway, for $17.

The nearest garages (2) are 30 kms away. They are booked until after Christmas. I don't know what to do, they said there might be a cancellation so I got it there, parked and waited. I got lucky this time, 3 days, $200 and off to the city to do banking. I hate #Scotiabank BTW, it gets worse...

Besides leaving us without banking in Rural #Halifax, I drove to the city (160kms/100 miles) & was denied depositing money to my daughter's account? I do it 2 times yearly.

Now, only their customers can deposit to other customers? I will never be a customer. Wasted trip, but my wife is a customer

So we went back to deposit all the money we could scrape together to help kids when they need it most. No other bills, I can give them all I have left. Oh NO Mr Bill
Next day, when we got home, our septic tank died?
It's old, I don't know where it is, ground frozen solid, no contractors here

I had to call a company to come 170 kms/110 miles) to dig, locate, pump and close for $1400. The tank was rusted out, old metal one. Needed replacing anyway. 3 days before the holidays. They recommended someone 80 kms / 50 miles away, that saved us just in time. He had to drive 160 km with a tank

I asked if he needed cash to purchase the new septic tank? He had the upfront $$ and arrived with two concrete boxes on trailers and a 25 ton excavator, serious equipment. By noon, we could use the toilet again but it took a few more hours to clear piled rock and replace the soil around it
FINALLY

Every job you do, requires CASH. There are no banks. I need to know exactly how much? Another 5 hrs/320 kms later, I'm back from the bank with $3000 cash to pay my bill.

And then, another setback.

All Nova Scotia #Healthcare is in Halifax city, and the gas mileage costs 100's of $'s each month.

Two days before our first 2026 doctor's appointment, the Alternator went (I hope it's just Alternator) in my van. You need 2 cars when you live rural. Try to find one? Not a relative, not even a lifetime friend, but my new neighbour, from Ontario, the *chicken farmer* as I refer to him, offered his

He had no work lined up, loaned me his work van, for as long as I needed it until I got mine fixed. This was no small favor, I rewarded him every day I used it. Each trip to the city, I gifted him some groceries (they add 15% on everything rural, above the city prices) I stopped at Gateway for him

His work vehicle had never been cleaned. The dust was thick, his dog hairs were so messy, I put my wife in coveralls so she could step out of them before entering the doctors office, so I vacuumed too. We don't have car washes, and my hose is drained for winter. I waited for a rain event..

I took soapy scrub water, cleaned & rinsed with bucket & waited until the rain started, then high gusts, and by morning, it was cleaner than any vehicle I had, not even a soap streak, pressure rinsed by the strong gusts and driving rain. I also sorted all his floor items from garbage, 1st time ever!

By week two, still using his van, and no sign of an opening in the garages, I purchased my own alternator in the city, in case I have to do this job myself, maybe even in the cold.

I decided to buy another car, a winter beater, until things get sorted. I contacted three city-sellers, and messaged them

Gave my home phone #, My Cell # on the road, & detailed messages explaining in a no-cell area, no phone until I get to the city but that I would bring cash to look at the vehicles they were selling. NO word back in 12 hours, we returned without a car, but got a 9 pm message " I'm home now"
NO CAR!

Finally got a car, but Access office, is open Thursdays to register a vehicle, Dr. Appts were on same day. Natch!

I needed Winter tires & Insurance anyway. I didn't want to take insurance off my disabled van, this was temporary, so I had to do another policy. Advertised were $100 bucks away

I bought mounted tires. Too many unhappy experiences with Kijiji sellers. But now I have, at considerable expense, another backup vehicle, but still without my van fixed.

Time to relax after holiday.

1 more appt, using a borrowed van.
12 hours, incl tires, on the road, delayed at every stop..

When we got home, a call from my sister-in-law said that she had not heard from her brother (who lives alone) in 2 weeks (we were at city medical appts). We were concerned, I was exhausted. I would go immediately at daylight to find out why no one could call him.

This is where things go bad

Expensive items were outside his home, not secured, but his door was secured. No answer. I tried to kick it in but it was really sturdy, I got tools, and broke in. I called for him. I had not been inside the house in 10 years. I wasn't ready for what I found. His mental condition had deteriorated

We had just had him for Christmas dinner, he seemed OK, but he had been purchasing repeated items for some time, there was clutter everywhere. I went room to room, sometimes having to break down doors, and could not find my brother in law. I checked around outside. I made my wife wait in the vehicle

Panic and rushing around with a torch, there were electric heaters everywhere, especially where it was unsafe to run them, and on the second sweep, I found him. He'd fallen in clutter and been unable to rise. He was weak, told me he'd been there a long time (possible week) & I had my wife stay

We don't have cellular service in this part of Halifax. I'd went a few houses down, and called 911 while my wife waited with her brother. First, I was very clear (but out of breath), this is not the location, it's where I am calling from.. and it went stupid after that. What civic address?

I was responding in an emerg, I didn't know the address off my head, I said three houses west, and I said I would flag them down as they arrived. They still called me the owner's name, and sent a crew to respond to a house collapse but the same response as any other thing, fire dept first.

My wife was already crying, it was too late. I took charge, answered RCMP questions, and went blank when I had to give the last names of my two sister-in-laws. We fixed that later. They still came to see my wife, I went out and put my winter tires on the car I just bought. Remember my neighbour?

When the coroner left, late in the day, my buddy that loaned me his van, came, helped me secure/find valuables & return daily to begin the process of finding his wallet, bills, & more. It was two days before I found his wallet. We went every day to dig, bag debris & pull personal mail out of it

I have monsters in my head from my military service.
I am up all night anyway. I have security cameras everywhere, I just watched the plow box me in at 1 am with engine-size ice blocks. I'm fit. but I'm also old.
I had to remove them, blocking the driveway at 3 am, before they froze in hard

I grabbed a coffee afterwards, looked out to see a faint blinking light across the highway. I'm not sleeping anyway, but I have to investigate, what only I can see.
I threw my neon coveralls over my pajamas & took my floodlight to investigate. It was a car accident. I went into high alert mode

The car had left the highway (which was so covered in black ice. I had to duck walk. The airbag had been deployed, there was blood. Items had been dragged from the vehicle, door still open, ignition still on, no driver found. I panicked (as one should), called out, searched for blood or snow prints

I couldn't find the injured driver, I ran back home & called 911 (another stupid delay, my phone number comes up at my former address on the 911 screen)
Try not sending response there, OK?
Delay, delay, "are you sure it's not in....?"
FFS, did I mention it was an emergency?
SMH, Twice in 2 days

I went to meet emerg response. the same people that came to the sudden death 48 hours ago, were there again. The RCMP called my by my first name, we're making a habit of meeting under unpleasant circumstances. As the history unfolded, I was glad the driver hadn't wandered into the woods confused.
Turns out, in spite of the ice on the highway, they charged the driver with DUI when located.

I was still vibrating for the last 48 hours, and needed some sleep. I was unable to take new medications, because I didn't know the reaction I would get, when I needed all my faculties.

My Pill doctor (Pusher with Big Pharma kickbacks), gave me new meds to sleep. I don't trust his prescriptions, I just approved a new script when I hit cell range. 2 hour wait to fill it before going home. He drugged me all Dec 2025, but doesn't believe Cannabis works? Kickbacks

But I had to sleep

I took 1 pill, NADA! 2 hours later, as the sky was getting 1st light, I finally fell asleep. My mother (long story) isn't ever supposed to call me. In return for her not calling. and stressing me put, I always call her twice a day, religiously.
I just fell asleep, missed 7:30 so she woke me

Now I am heavily medicated, but can't sleep, & a fiber guy is at my door. The ice storm pulled my fiber off the house. I had a booking, either forgot day (with all that was happening), or he was passing by. I could hardly stand, and made no sense. I kept asking who he was? Did I call you?

I said, "never mind, I have no idea what I am saying", and he left. It would be afternoon before I realized he did what he was supposed to do, and I could not take another pill.

When able to make conscious decisions again, I started more funeral planning with my wife, and I did what she forgot.

The funeral director helped fill in pallbearers, that we couldn't find. My wife overlooked things, so I did a generic obit, fill in family names, dates and information.

The most important person to me at that time, was my neighbour. He came to help me every day, making trips back to the house.
Each day, we'd shovel in, gather important papers, items of monetary or sentimental value. I called to cancel the phone. and #Bell tried to up-sell me?

I was very clear, |THIS IS A BEREAVEMENT CALL"
I had to hang up on them after they asked if I'd asked others in the area first. But they cut it off

We'll be there for another month, sorting & saving items, open to weather now.
I'm exhausted after all that has happened, the daily clean-ups and more.
The funeral is over though, it went without a hitch.
There is no Will, but no assets, except a nice used car he just purchased.

All the trips trying to find a car & now I have an extra, that I can't register.
My wife is the administrator, and will try to register the car with her paperwork. Not every place excepts the same proof. My bank doesn't even recognize my wife's Power of Attorney for me.

This is a long story, were you expecting shorter? I could go on far longer than this.

To those who PMed condolences & support, thank you.
For those who replied to my post, I didn't reply, because it would draw me back into Social Media & I had no time.

My own medical treatments got screwed up

When possible, I do phone/video medical appts.
I have a list, each one highlighted by date-time, so I don't miss them.
I had an important one between visitation & funeral.
I was a pallbearer, I was putting on a tie, while on the phone, carrying in an hour, phone calls haven't stopped, even today

While I was waiting for a doctor's phone appt, another booking call, for my canceled Physio (storm).
I heard a beep (2nd call).
Before I could switch, I lost it.
All this wait, and I lost my appt time.
I called right back but they were busy with other clients.
Will try again at casket time

I'm to be a pallbear, they are waiting for me at the church, and they called back for my appt. YIKES! It was so close, that I finished dressing while in my appt, right to the church after hanging up. I missed 2 more follow-up calls.
Still a few days in Jan, still up all night, but it's settling down

I'm doing OK, for those concerned that I was having a hard time. (I was)
I was disconnected, doing necessary administration & clean up,
I responded professionally (past training) in each emergency situation, without a problem.

But I can't sleep, after these situations, are over.

I took 1 pill, NADA! 2 hours later, as the sky was getting 1st light, I finally fell asleep. My mother (long story) isn't ever supposed to call me. In return for her not calling. and stressing me put, I always call her twice a day, religiously.
I just fell asleep, missed 7:30 so she woke me

Now I am heavily medicated, but can't sleep, & a fiber guy is at my door. The ice storm pulled my fiber off the house. I had a booking, either forgot day (with all that was happening), or he was passing by. I could hardly stand, and made no sense. I kept asking who he was? Did I call you?

I said, "never mind, I have no idea what I am saying", and he left. It would be afternoon before I realized he did what he was supposed to do, and I could not take another pill.

When able to make conscious decisions again, I started more funeral planning with my wife, and I did what she forgot.

So, I was up anyway, I was writing an appeal to Veterans Affairs & I thought, it's time to pop back in, and return to Social Media.
You knew this was going to be long?
I told you not to make eye-contact with me

I may delete this whole thread in a few day.
It answers all questions at once /FIN

@Rasta This is where I figured out that I had to find the beginning of thread and am terribly sorry for all you are going through... things are supposed to only happen in 3's ... 🫂🫂 ...

@Rasta Have to ask how is Max and sisters doing ?? Answer when comfortable enough to do so...