Thursday, June 26, 2008

Crazy Life

Last Saturday I drove to Washington, DC all by myself!!! Packed lots of healthy snacks, had teaching tapes and music tapes (old car that doesn't play CD's - but is all paid for!)and I started my journey. I had such a good time driving along - my Mom and sister had made a sandwich for me and I stopped at a rest area to eat it and drink my Double Shot Starbucks so I wouldn't be in danger of getting sleepy - and drove into DC in a rainstorm.

I had a problem with the condensation leaking into the passenger side of my car but didn't think it would get too bad - but as I arrived in DC I looked down and realized that I had a 2 in. deep sloshing pond on that side of the car! I did have a roll of Bounty paper towels with me and I began tearing them off the roll and balling them up and throwing them in the water and they really worked!!! Except as I was doing that I missed a turn and ended up having my son-in-law giving me directions to go pick up my daughter, April (check out her blog for the fantastic photos of the Shrine we visited) - and he took me right into DuPont Circle where there was a very unusual parade ending right in that spot!!!

Finally got settled and had a wonderful week going to the zoo, spending lots of time with my grandson, going on a fantastic Duck Tour of DC that was great, going out to lunch, going with my daughters to a Mom's group and a dance lesson with April and went out after that in DC - wahoo!!!!

My drive back was totally uneventful as my son-in-law had fixed the AC problem! Got home on Sat. and my daughter from Pa. is here visiting with her two children and a German Shepherd and then got to work and had to participate in moving our team from one area of our building to another and I am still in the midst of all that mess!!!

And that's where I am!!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Too Many Issue for a Title

My sister and I brought my Mom home from the hospital on Saturday - she was fine and wanted to go home and was insisting that she was going to get up - get dressed and just leave, saying, "Who's going to stop me???" She wasn't talking crazy - she was really fine and didn't want to waste a perfectly good Saturday in the hospital! I went down to the nurses station to discuss my Mom's potential break-out and they told me about all the releases she would have to sign and mentioned that her medical plan wouldn't pay if she chose to walk out. I went back to the room and told her that she was staying - the Dr. finally came at 2:30 p.m. signed her out and we finally got to leave at 5:30 p.m. You have just got to love paperwork!!!

I have a younger brother who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of American and is a wonderful chef - and he arrived Sunday night to spend a week with my Mom and sister. I live a few blocks away and my older brother lives one block away so we all hung out together last night.

When my sister and I arrived home for lunch yesterday he had prepared salad plates for us all on chilled plates and the table was set with my Mom's blue willow ware and blue hydrangas (sp?) in a vase on the table and a wonderful lunch prepared and waiting for us! Can I just say I love having a chef for a brother!!!

Sunday night, when my brother was flying in, I drove over to my Mom's to ride with them to pick him up at the airport. His flight was suppose to get in a midnight - after some delays - when I came driving down their street it was dark and I noticed a bike "thrown away" in front of a neighbor's house (I'm looking for a bike sort of) but pulled up at the house and we all got in my Mom's car and backed down the driveway - I mentioned to my sister about the bike and said to shine her headlights on it and when she did there was a body lying next to the bike!!!! A man on his back with his arms folded across his chest - it really shocked and scared us - I quickly called 911 and they questioned me and they sent an ambulance, fire truck, motorcyle policeman and a patrol car right away - usually we would go running to help anyone - but - for some reason we felt a real sense of caution just to wait and see - we did see him move - and we kept the car in a postion to guard him as his feet were sticking out in the road - it turned out that he was really drunk and three firemen could barely hold him up - he didn't even wake up with all the sirens and lights all around him - we finally were able to leave and get on our way - another night of drama!

We've talked about what else we could have done - I mean we're the family that stops on any road and rescues turtles - but - I really felt we were going with the caution that the three of us felt.

Friday, June 6, 2008

The Matriarch

My Mom wasn't feeling well Thursday morning so my sister called 911 and they took her to the hospital - she was going unconscious - sweating - not feeling well. She is doing well - they admitted her and have done a whole bunch of tests and are keeping her until tomorrow and we hope they let her go home then as she is getting really fiesty!!! She loves the food and eats everything up - she is not on a restricted diet and so far everything looks good.

I know you all know her from my daughter's blogs - so I just wanted to let you know what has been happening.