Thank Don Julio 1942

The past 2 weeks have been a tiddly bit busy.

Mother's 90th birthday was May 31. Everyone was coming in for a bit of a celebration. And I mean Everyone. My brother and my brilliant sister-in-law, their daughter with her significant other, and their son with his significant other; my son, daughter-in-law, 5 year old grandson, and 2 month old granddaughter; my older sister from Utah; and my little sister from Arizona.

Not a single hotel room in town was available. All the B & B's were booked. My roomie's daughter from Florida showed up (marital issues). My sisters haven't spoken to each other in 15 years.

Okay. Older sister from Utah and my son and family would stay at Mother's. Roomie and daughter get the garage apartment next door. Little sister would stay at my house. Brother and family drive in from their home. All set.

May 29th: Mother takes her oldest queen to the vet to be euthanized. At a stop sign, she begins to cry and pulls out in front of a commercial truck. She totals her hybrid Honda Civic. Both air bags deploy. She says she's all right. I take the cat to the vet. I take Mom to Urgent Med; the power is out, so we go home for an hour and go back to UM. Good news: ankle xray looks clear. Bad news: The wrist is fractured (radius, not ulna). Older sister's plane is due at 5 p.m. Then 6 p.m. I get Mom Chinese take-out. Then 8 p.m. Finally she arrives at 9 p.m. Roomie's daughter's flight also delayed (different airport) because of tropical storm.

Roomie brings Mom a walker from work. She does OK. We get older sis a rental car. Next day,we get Mom a quad cane.  She does well with that Thursday and Friday. Little sister's flight gets in Friday (early), but she rents car and drives down from OK City. Make doctors' appointment with Mom's primary care doc on Tuesday, orthopaedic specialist on Wednesday.

Little sis and I get pedicures Saturday morning .Roomie brings in dehydrated kitty that had been trapped on roof across the alley. (I must have "sucker" tattooed on my forehead).  Everyone begins arriving about 2 in the afternoon. Brother brings the Don Julio 1942. (This is very important. Any bottle of tequila that costs $200 is important). As long as I can get tequila into little sis, no fireworks. Photographer comes. Dinner reservations at 6. Stupidly hilarious dice game around the table at home with marvelous Italian creme cake (courtesy of brilliant sister-in-law) and MORE Don Julio keeps things rocking. I win $60.00 at silly card game.

Sunday is laid back. Everyone from OKC drives back down. More silly dice game. Dancing. Pizza. Dancing. Son and family head back to Tulsa.Brother and family return to OKC (taking the tequila, dammit). Little sis leaves Monday for Phoenix. Take Mom to PC doc Tuesday, get her home in time to take older sis to airport for flight to Salt Lake City.

Mom is happy that no major confrontations occurred. We go Wednesday to ortho. New ankle xray shows fractures of the fibula and tibia--she's been hobbling around on a broken ankle for a week.
Doc orders a knee scooter--she couldn't manage that so I went and got a transfer wheelchair (and it was cheaper to buy it than to rent it). Roomie called the man that makes wheelchair ramps, and he came and measured for 3 ramps. (Built 2 of them that night, too). Bought a bedside commode. Bought a transfer shower chair. Moved in with Mom for the next 6 weeks.

We are doing OK. Home Health Care preliminary interview was yesterday; rehab services start Monday. I'll be getting a laptop so that I can work more easily here at Mom's. She loves the iPad (Mah Jong app and books).

Oh. I got a call from University; more students enrolled, so I will be teaching this summer after all.