2010 — 2 July: Friday — as in "the long, bad"?
We shall see. Meanwhile, I have maps, weather, and traffic reports1 to check before I set off... And a lunch to pack. It's 08:50 — tick tock.
I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked to learn overnight that Big Bro doesn't approve of the artistic merit (if any) of hanging aircraft in the Tate :-)
Back, running on empty
I exaggerate, slightly. I had two "blobs" to go, and it cost me £38 to refill the tank (having filled it yesterday in prep, of course).
Claire was waiting in the cafeteria of the hospital when I arrived about 20 minutes early. We had a natter, then heard from the Social Worker about the various options (not that there are too many when you're 93, frail, and essentially have no short-term memory). She gave us much to think about, but at least dear Mama is (if not collected) still cool and calm. She has no idea where she is even after a fortnight there, is convinced she's not going to last much longer, "doesn't give a damn", and had no idea she even had a house to go back to.
Her "capacity/capability" assessment is not a high one. And she'll need to relocate downstairs as stairs have now become an issue. If she can manage with considerably increased daily help from the community of help professionals (at a very pretty penny, no doubt) then everyone seems to prefer that she stay in her home rather than transfer straight into any form of residential care. I guess I do, too, since I expect that's what I would want for myself. Though frankly, I'd rather somebody shot me before I attained such a frail state.
Having seen what happened to her elder sister in terms of physical decline, I can't say I was shocked when I saw her, but (just as I've become my father) she now closely resembles my grandmother rather than my mother.
Those pesky ants
Despite my basic liking for the little things, I don't much like a kitchen worktop covered in them. I've not got the energy to trace the breach in my defences tonight, but I still harbour Anglian-related suspicions as I said two years running.