Trash Picker

Last night Mom was in charge of washing the fresh lettuce for a salad with dinner.  She then dried the lettuce using a few paper towels (probably about four).  Now, this is not something I would ordinarily do but since I am a bit under the weather I'm not eating salad and pretty much don't care.  Husband picked up the pile of wet paper towels from the counter and when Mom and Dad's backs were turned, gave me a definite WTF look and threw them away.

This morning, over breakfast, Mom says, "[Husband] didn't know I have a method to my madness... I dried the lettuce with paper towels and I was going to use them to clean the floor, but he threw them away.  I guess he didn't know that I reuse paper towels.  So I had to get them out of the trash and clean the floor with them.  He didn't know."

Somehow, I managed to remain impassive through this confession.

Timing

Hey, and what a week for Three to have his first virus that clears from both ends. 

Just so you know...

Ever so slightly louder than necessary just to be sure I could overhear, as we leave for the market, Mom says, "I was thinking about turning off the tv but I don't know how...."

Also, when she drank the last of the coffee in the pot she then asked me if she should turn it off.  I said yes, if it's empty.  She told me how they burned up a coffee maker at work by not turning it off.  Then she put water in the carafe to just sit there, because it was still hot.

On her last visit, she asked EVERY DAY if she should put water in the carafe.  EVERY DAY we said no.  This time she just did it.

Outing!

We're all going to the Farmer's Market today.  It might get interesting...

Contacts or eyeglasses?

When Husband pulled up in the driveway having retrieved Mom from the airport, the mail had arrived and there was a box from 1-800 contacts right on top of the box. As she got out of the car, Mom recounted that she's already asked Husband if he had some backup glasses because "you can really get into trouble with contacts. We* had to send a boy to Some Place because he was wearing his contacts too much."

* Mom is a health care practitioner. She's actually pretty good at it.

Lost in translation

I should have known there was more to my mom saying that flying was for the birds. Apparently there was a stranger near her fluffing her hair and inadvertantly also fluffing my mom's hair in the process (difficult to picture, I know). Upon her arrival here and in telling this story, she told me that saying flying was for the birds was to indicate that someone had fluffed her hair.

I happened to be standing near where she was seated, and while demonstrating the offensive hair fluffing I noticed a seed flopping around on top of her head. I picked it off and handed it to her.

Later, I found it on top of the mail.

Fashionista

Three words: embroidered denim pantsuit.

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One down...

Dad is here.  Husband and Three went to pick up Mom at the airport.

Transmission: Don't talk to me!

I received the following forwarded email from Dad.  The only things I've changed are the names in brackets.

[Me]
I assume we can talk to her after 4PM on Monday.
Love,
Dad
----- Original Message ----- From: [The Sister]
To: [Dad]
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:22 PM
Subject: Stuffles


Paw,

Can't see you tomorrow on account of I have a ton of crap to do.

Lunchtime is not often an optimal time to talk to me.  This only goes through next Monday, buuuut definitely don't call any time before 4 on Monday unless it's an emergency.

I found out that commencement will be outside after all - that is good news - it means you can show up closer to 2:30, since there will be plenty of room.  It will be under a tent, so no worries about too much sun.

Also, the photo-op will take place *before* commencement, so I should be able to leave right after the commencement is over.  It'll probably be over around 3:30 or 4.

[The Sister]

Alert!

Just got the call from Dad - "Can you pick up Mom?"

Saw this one a mile away, yo.

Transportation

Mom and Dad will be traveling from different points of origin today; Mom from the hometown and Dad from his workplace about halfway between. Mom is opting to fly the distance these days as apparently the 7 hour trip to the workplace is too much for her. She determined this after falling asleep at the wheel twice and needing to stop and spend the night to break up that 7 hour trip previously. So, a good move, really.

Dad, as is his style, will be driving the 9 hours between the workplace and my home. He told me he'd try not to bother us by calling too much, but he would let us know if he wasn't going to make it to my airport in time to pick up Mom. I told him to relax; we could certainly get her. As per his call earlier today, he's running late. Let's just say I'm not surprised.

Dad mentioned yesterday that he didn't want to be too far from DC when my mom changed planes there "in case something happened and I have to go get her." What apocalyptic scenario must he imagine? Or is it that he's afraid of Mom's ability to change planes? Or that perhaps the flight attendants won't let her on...?

Update again...

Mom called again to say that the flight was supposed to board 30 minutes ago, but they "are boarding now that the flight attendants are finally ready."

We told her we'd be monitoring the situation from the computer box here on the ground.

report from mom getting on

report from mom
getting on the plane in DC: this flying thing is for the birds.

Testing

Test post from cell. I'm ready!

They're coming

They'll be here after 4pm today.