I voted "Meh" 10+ months of contemplating Madam President for the next 4 years was truly depressing. Watching Europe being overrun by a bunch of medieval animals, who believe that "it all has to go".
The Brexit gave some hope.
The Schadenfreude of our election has been nothing but continuous Super Happy Fun Time.
Big Personal Pluses:
I'm still above ground.
I became a foster parent, and while the first one didn't work out, the 2nd one seems to be warming up and opening up more.
Negatives:
Mom 's dementia is really getting worse. She hates where she is, and I hate having her there, but there is no way I could care for her. (Which is why my age range for fostering is 12-18, they are pretty self-sufficient by that age.) Mom requires a lot of work. If she had her way, she would just lay a in bed all day. Although the staff reports that, on occasion, she "packs up" because she's going to come live with one of us. The last two days when we've gone to visit her, she thinks we've come to take her "home", but we have to remind her that the house was sold back in June. So then she thinks we'll take her back to the apartment she lived in the last year. "No Mom, you live here now." "No, I'll come live with you." Ummmm, no Mom. This is your new home. See all your stuff is here. "I don't like it. I'll go live with Kelly/Jerry/Gloria." Well, you'll have to ask them about that.
At least she was "pleasant" and not angry or rude.
She also stated that she took a piano lesson, (she didn't, the staff took her down to the lounge to listen to Christmas songs on the piano, played by a staff member.) Then she said/complained that she had to "work" going around drawing labs on all the patients. (She didn't.)
You ask her questions and she gets confused. Being very hard of hearing makes talking to her worse, because she can't hear most of what you saying, so rather than asking you to repeat what you said, she guesses and answers based on her guess. Which, of course, makes no sense.
My niece recently had foot surgery, so Mom is convinced that she is waiting for surgery, because she needs foot (and hip and knee) surgery, and she wishes the doctor would hurry up because she's in pain. (She all those areas x-rayed less than a month ago. Diagnosis: Nothing broken, sprained or strained. But, she is 88 years old.)
If she got up and got out of room, she would do much better, but she's closed herself off and wants everyone to pity her. Many of her fellow resident are active and just eating a couple meals there (and the food is really GOOD!!!), there are residents who get together and at least enjoy meals and conversations together.
The staff seems to be very good and care about the residents. I observed that wait staff knew the residents by name, and even brought them their "usual" shortly after they arrived. They had Carl's glass of Chocolate milk waiting for him on "his" table when they spotted him coming down the hall. Drinks were delivered to the appropriate places after Carl took his seat and before they rest of his "posse" arrived.
I was so impressed with what they offered, that I'm thinking of selling my house and moving into a place like that !!
Anyway, Mom hates it. Just like she would hate living with any of us, because it wouldn't be all about her. Us trying to live our lives and not wait on her hand and foot, would make her (attempt to) inflict guilt on us. It would be hell.