Yesterday, I ventured out with one my tribe members for a belated birthday lunch. People, it was so refreshing to have human interaction that didn’t involve my family. I love them. They are an amazing group of individuals, but we have been together for three months, and their faces are getting on my nerves.
We sat outside enjoying the glorious weather and chatted for two hours. It was amazing! I ventured home with a smile on my face only to have it wiped off after receiving a phone call from my mother’s caregiver. I really like her, but she is a few fries short of a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Truly. She called to inquire if I had my TV on, which was weird. Instead of responding “WTF”, I simply said, “No, why do you ask?”. To which she responded that my mother’s internet, cable, and phone were all out. She assumed that if Mom was having issues, I was too. I tried to explain that there are different grids, so not everyone will be out. It truly is like speaking to a wall. She asked me to call the cable company since the phone was out and she couldn’t call them. What? So, I reminded her that she was talking to me….on her cell phone….so she does have phone capability. I was greeted with crickets. Jesus. Take. The Wheel. Instead of waiting for her to acknowledge that she indeed has a phone attached to her ear, I told her that I would call. When I called, I was told, via automated attendant, that there was an outage in her area and that it would be fixed in a few hours. I called her back, relaying the info along with informing her that I would come over to the house later, since my mother had no capability of calling anyone if there is an emergency.
When I arrived at my mom’s house, I was greeted with a line of LG&E trucks which indicated that it wasn’t just her cable/internet/phone, but a bigger issue was at hand. Of course, my mom has a generator, so she was oblivious to the fact that the power was out, but as I walked in the door, I was greeted with a heat wall. The air conditioning was not connecting to the generator. I called the company that installed the unit. (Shameless plug, but if you live in Louisville, KY and are looking for a reputable company, Corrigan Electric is the bomb.) Not only did they get someone over right away, but the owner gave me his cell phone if I have any other issues. Maybe he was impressed with the F-bomb that I threw out so effortlessly. Anyway, the repairman showed up and within 15 minutes we had cool air flowing. Thank God!
By midnight, the issue was resolved and all was well in the kingdom. Mom was not remotely affected by the events that unfolded. She was listening to her books on tape and asking me, “Do you have something to do?” which is code for “I am busy and you need to go somewhere else”. Glad I brought my tablet with me as I figured I was in it for the long haul. I am still baffled as to why her caregiver wasn’t aware that the air conditioning wasn’t working. I mean the situation occurred at 3 P.M. and she left at 5. By the time I arrived, it was around 6:30 and it was 80 degrees in her house. Fun fact, I won’t be inquiring as it will result in me banging my head repeatedly against the wall. She is a little out of touch peppered with an incredible lack of common sense. But, my mom doesn’t complain about her nearly as much as the previous ones, so I suppose she is a keeper.
Just another day in the life of caregiving. Expecting the unexpected is par for the course. At least this time, Mom wasn’t wandering the neighborhood. it is all about perspective.
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