I tried to reach Dad’s doctor twice today, since she never returned my call yesterday. I left a very detailed message at about 11:30, on the way to book club lunch at Souper Salad, which the receptionist said she’d get to her. At around 3:00, I called back to ask for a specific time that I could expect a call back from the doctor. I got a voice recording saying, that they were closed for the (holiday) weekend. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I had a most unproductive day at work today. I left at about 3:30. I vacuumed, and Robert arrived shortly thereafter. He was hungry, and ran out to Wendy’s to grab a burger. He took some trash to a dumpster on the way for me.
After eating, and sharing his fries, he wanted to help with the cleaning, but I told him to go take a nap, as that’s what he was going to do before he came over, but I suggested he come here to nap that way beating the 5:00 traffic on a holiday weekend. He tried to take a nap, and I dusted the downstairs.
Later, we ran out to Sam’s, stopping at Wendy’s on the way, so I could get a hamburger, and then we zipped through the Dairy Queen drive-thru and bought a small butterscotch shake to share. Yum.
In the car on the way to Sam’s, I called Dad to see if he had been able to reach her. “No, it’s a holiday weekend up there.” Grrrrrrrr! I had to tell him what was going on with the anniversary celebration now, because I can’t wait until Tuesday to hear from the doctor, and/or to find out he still doesn’t want to go. That’s two weeks and a day until the day we’re flying out, and if I have to move the celebration to Jacksonville, that’s cutting it too close.
He seemed very amazed that almost all of the family is flying down there as a surprise. He made me repeat who all it was as he tried to absorb it. “Yes, I can go. As long as I don’t have to carry my suitcases.” Grrrrrr! Is that what the whole concern was? Some damn suitcases? Hello! Vivian and I are flying with you. Maybe we can carry the suitcases!?!
Anyhow, he promised to keep this a secret from mom, and it did seem to lift his spirits some, so that’s good. He told her, “Yeah, I’ll just have to tell her I’ve had a burst of energy.” We’ll see how that story flies. What will be will be. One can only do so much.
I called hotels.com, and extended Rene’s and Roland’s stay for the extra two days. Thank goodness they still had rooms available, even with me waiting this long to do it. Glad to have that settled.
I bought the bulk stuff for the party, we came home, put all that away, and then ran over to Harris Teeter to get the other, smaller-quantity stuff.
I talked to Mike about what his plans were. He said he wasn’t going to be able to make it, and now that he’s decided, it might just be for the best. God works in mysterious ways. He made a comment about seeing them (mom & dad) next when they’re dead. “I guess that’s how it’s going to be. She (mom) put a hole in my heart that I just can’t get over.” There is so much anger and hurt there that something explosive might very well happen if he attends.
Before we hung up, I said, “Well, I’ll just try and see you when I’m in Jacksonville next then.”
“I work nights don’t forget. Everyone seems to forget that. I work nights.”
“Okay.”
“Well, I’ll either be here at work, or at ‘St. John’s,'” he said, a definitely allusion to “I’ve turned into my father.”
It’s all so sad, unempowering, and a pity party that I can’t attend. I went through that 5 years ago when I tried to help him, but he wouldn’t help himself. I don’t know how you get someone who is so caught up in “look what the world has done to me” to understand that they have the power to see things differently and take action.