days_unfolding

I sent the following email to my dad:

I need some advice.

Mom got into a couple of fender-benders (which concerns me, but she says that she can drive "if she really concentrates"), and she was getting her car fixed. She had a CT scan today, and asked me to order her an Uber for tomorrow. I was about to go into a meeting, and said that I would do it tonight, and she freaked out. As it turns out, the person with whom I had a meeting was caught on the phone with one of our libraries, so I ordered the Uber for her. I tried calling her landline, but didn't get through. (Something weird happens occasionally where I hear the phone ringing but she doesn't, and I get a different answering machine than her machine, and she doesn't get a message.) I said a couple of choice words and called her cell phone. No answer, so I left a message.

A little while later, I was able to get through on the landline, but she didn't answer, so I left a message. She called back on her cell, and I told her about the Uber. She said that her landline phone was missing, and she couldn't find the phone anywhere, and she thinks that she's getting really confused and can't cope. I asked if I should come out and help, and she said that it was "too expensive". I suggested that she ask her friend Lotus to help her find the phone, and she said that her house was too much of a mess.

I should say that I've talked to her about working from there (I've gotten the okay from work) and helping out. The only thing is that I'd need to bring the cats, and she's afraid that they will get into stuff. And I'd have to keep Zara in my room because she WOULD get into stuff, but Mimi is declawed and gets into stuff less, so she probably could have the run of the house. Mom was worried that a cat would get into the basement, but I have some gates that I could put up.

But wait, it gets worse. I got a call from Mom this morning saying that the Uber wasn't there. I had forgot about the time change, and the Uber was scheduled my time. I requested another Uber, which came fairly quickly, but it was a truck. Mom was yelling at me that she couldn't get into a truck, and I said that when you order an Uber, you get what you get, and if you want to know what you get, you need to order a cab. I said that she didn't seem to realize that I was doing the best that I can, and she said that well, she was trying to do the best that she can without the car, and she needs help. The guy got her in the truck somehow, and she got there.

So now I don't know what to do. Part of me thinks that I should just load myself, the cats, and my work laptop into the car, and go out there.

Any thoughts?

I checked Purchasing Power for hotels in Florence (Italy). They're surprisingly affordable and comparable to prices in Miami. Flights, of course, are more expensive. But it might be doable for next year. Even if I could pull it off this year, I'm too frazzled to deal with international travel. I should renew my passport though so I don't have to deal with it when I do go.

Oh cool. The swimsuit has arrived at the post office in town, so I should get it tomorrow. I just watched a video about breaststroke to remind me of the correct arm and leg strokes.

The spinach-and-garlic pizza from Aldi was really good.

Took a nap and slept through until morning.