1. I was looking through my camera roll and found these pictures of my mother's day and birthday gifts from Eve. She makes everything so beautiful all the way through.
2. I also found these pictures of Angus when he stood in a former Elmira teammate's wedding in August. He doesn't take a lot of pictures so when he's far away I don't see him virtually or in person - with Eve there are always pictures of what's going on. So these are precious.
3. We have reached a sort of breathing space with my parents situation (trying to move them from their house to something smaller). There is a 55-plus apartment building connected to the fancy retirement residence about a five-minute drive from our house. It looks perfect for them, but there is a waiting list (I am kicking myself for not thinking a couple of years ago that we should get them on some waiting lists. I guess the whole point of being in denial is often that you don't actually realize you're in denial?) The lovely woman who gave us the tour did say that even though the waiting list is robust, it is quite often that when someone's name comes up they are not ready to move, or do not want to move in the winter etc. My parents are fine to stay in their house for now, so if their name came up within a year we would be good. If something changes, we will adapt, but for now at least there is a solution everyone is happy with and every day does not bring new fretting.
4. I drove my mom to do her driver's license renewal yesterday - she is over eighty so she has to do the vision test and draw the clock. My dad is also over eighty, and super fun is the fact that they were born three years apart, so I have to take one of them to do this every September!
The last two times were fine - it was a group thing, and my mom's was at the Stittsville Legion and my dad's was in a little strip mall. It was not made clear while I was booking my mom's appointment that it is no longer a group test, and the appointment I was making her was for a regular Service Ontario, which is always a jam-packed little circle of Hell, reeking of impotent rage and despair. It wasn't clear where she was supposed to check in, even, and she has hearing loss, so I had to fight my way to a desk to figure it out, which is fine, but for goodness sake - even if someone doesn't have hearing loss, it's a crowded room and there is plexiglass in front of the employees, should they not be making an effort to speak clearly anyway? She did have an appointment and they were on time, which was wonderful, even if when they called her up to counter #2 the employee at counter #2 looked mystified as to why she was there. I completely agree with all the signs saying that verbal abuse of employees will not be tolerated, but sometimes it seems like the employees have a little pact that they will do everything in their power to make people want to abuse them.
Anyway, we both held it together and were much relieved when it was over. On the drive home I said I could give them feedback but it was probably useless because it wasn't like anyone can pick an alternative service with which to get this done. But! When I checked my email later, I found this.
I was tough, but fair.
5. Tuesday after Labour Day, Matt went back to work and I was alone in the house for the first time in quite a while. I came downstairs and sat down at the kitchen table to start working through my list. The first thing on my list was to make a vet appointment for Lucy - after her surgery last year we kind of got off our schedule. The employee asked if we had any concerns, and I said she did sometimes limp a little on her back leg. The employee said "the surgery leg?" I said "I think so, but now that the hair's grown back I'm often not certain". After that I hung up with a great sense of satisfaction, and then realized I had lost the list and the next thing on my list had to be finding the list.
6. I felt like my last post got a little unwieldy, so I am going to pick a meme at random from my new favourite meme delivery source. Oh! This one is relevant to the lactose intolerant content from my last post:
Plus Lucy, because Lucy.
8 comments:
That Lucy picture is perfection. And the dracula meme - hilarious.
I am so glad you have some breathing room with your parents’ situation.
Cackling over your comment about the drivers service people and their pact. That email they sent you is something.
(This is Suzanne.)
"I completely agree with all the signs saying that verbal abuse of employees will not be tolerated, but sometimes it seems like the employees have a little pact that they will do everything in their power to make people want to abuse them." I mean, you're not wrong.
1) I am in awe of people who make gifts look so beautiful. I am lucky if my gift-wrapped items don't contain strands of my own hair stuck in the tape because I get so stressed I think my hair falls out (more than normal) when I am cutting and taping.
2) Angus!
3) I hope the wait list moves quickly - that sounds like an ideal setup.
4) My MIL had to renew her license a couple of years ago and they didn't do a vision test. If they had she would have failed. I don't know WHAT is up with ICBC and why they didn't test her, but here she is, driving around half-blind. I mean, she basically only drives to the grocery store but still.
5) lol
6) I need more memes in my life!
Those package decorations are darling.
I'm glad you've got the process started for moving your parents and since it's not urgent that sounds perfect.
Service Ontario should be punished for their redundance alone. I mean, it's always nice to be thanked, but that was overkill. I hope you mentioned that.
LUCY. She is so photogenic, and I can see it in her eyes, she doesn't feel a return to the Veternarian suits her at this point in time.
I have a dear friend who wraps gifts like Eve; all jazzed up with drawings and lovely sentiments. It makes even the simplest gifts even more special.
Ok, Draw A Clock? I mean, actually draw a picture of a clock? I'm so confused.
Aside from that, the visit sounds like a nightmare!
Angus is so handsome and does he only hang out with other young, strapping handsome men?
The presentation of gifts and the photos of the wedding are so beautiful and fun, they bring me joy.
Glad to hear your parents are getting the process started for moving. It's a big decision to make. When my aunt was living at the retirement center independently, and HUGELY ready (in our opinion) for the move to assisted living, with great trepidation she finally agreed to be on the list. A room came available, but she didn't tell us (!) and refused it, because she wasn't ready. (She SO MUCH needed to not be living independently any longer.) So this is just to suggest that people refusing their chance at a room happens, and also, see if you can be in on the apartment management telling both you and your parents when an apartment comes available.
Hope you found the to-do list. When you do, be sure to write on it "Find to-do list" and then check it off. Such a sense of satisfaction that brings!
Ha, you paint quite a picture of the drivers license place (here we call it "DMV", not sure what the proper term is there.) But "reeking of impotent rage and despair" says it all.
Love all the photos! Those gifts... it makes me want to up my gift-giving game. And Angus, and Lucy... they are all beautiful.
Lucy. Precious Lucy. I want her to be my friend.
I have not had to go to the drivers license place in a decade. I got a new fancy REAL ID when I first moved to Wisconsin and it was good for like six or seven years and then I WAS ABLE TO RENEW BY MAIL and I was so excited. I'm sorry you have to do it so often because that place is where souls go to be mean to other souls.
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