July 18 - Great Eastern Tour Day 2

Miles travelled: 0
Diet Cokes: 3
Money spent: 18 cents

1:17 a.m. - A great whoosh of sound awakes me, which I associate with the fact that the power has gone off. Power goes back on seconds later. I register there is a cat on the bed with me. Do not check to see if the cat is Comiske or Wrigley before falling back asleep.

7:40 a.m. - Try to ignore aunt and uncle pseudo-whispering in the kitchen. They are discussing what to do with the half a coconut cake Grandma made that no one will eat any more of. Can't throw it all in the garbage can because she might notice. Garbage disposal would be good, but they think I'm still asleep in the living room. Throw it out back in the yard somewhere? Wonder if I should point out that if the whole cake gets thrown out at once Grandma will inevitably notice and comment on what pigs we all must be for eating half a cake so quickly. Wonder how people who have dealt with Grandma far longer than me cannot think of these things.

8:25 a.m. - Get up to tell Dad where to find owner's manual for my car, and decide there's no longer any point trying to sleep. Dress to run. Hoping I can get a run in and do some work on the computer before people everyone else is up and active. Two minutes later Mom and brother get up. Marvel how brother can be up so early given he still has mono.

12:00 - Finish lunch, including a rousing discussion on the salt content of the ham Grandma sent over. Mom, aunt, brother and I head to several "party stores." Brother thinks we are going somewhere with fun party supplies and such. In actuality we are headed to several Christmas ornament/knick knack/card shops. Manage to spend aunt's $100 gift card, plus 18 cents. This is harder than it sounds at a discount christmas shop. After several trips back for more stuff, most of which we don't need, the four of us walk away with an array of candles, frames, mugs, stuffed animals, and decorations. My portion includes a picture frame (something I actually needed), a coffee mug for myself, a mug for a friend, Harry Potter stickers, and an ostrich Beanie Baby. Had no idea when I pointed out the hilarity of an ostrich Beanie Baby I would be required to walk out of the store with one. Continue on to the full price party shop. A new edition this year makes the trip worth while. Next to the Christmas village we've seen every year since the aunt moved to town is a new Halloween village. There are buttons to push. Noises are made. Lights go on. Doors open. It's an ADHD child's dream. I am completely sucked in.

3:30. - Dad and uncle sitting in lawn chairs randomly plunked into the front yard when we get back. Thinking back, I realize that every year we are here that is where Dad sets up a lawn chair, though I doubt he'd remember. As I run through the mental images, the hair color on both of them changes, but the chairs and location do not. Discover that in their yard sitting, the boys have forgotten to pick up their mother. Volunteer to drive out and get her. Brother accuses me of doing it merely as an excuse to drive Mom's car. Being kind, I choose not to argue with an invalid.

7:35 - Chat with grandma about the merits of her still owning a car. Several months ago the push was for her to keep it. Now we are trying to have her get rid of it. Mom and I have learned that transportation is availabe 7 days a week, thus leaving no reason to keep the car. The cost of the bus is less than she would spend in gas to drive anywhere. Appealing to Grandma's frugal nature is always a plus. Unconvincingly she says she'll probably give up the car when her insurance is up this November. The cynic in me thinks of how far away that is. Next is the topic of grandma's recent falling spells.
"I've seen the doctor but he can't seem to figure out what's wrong with me. I think it must be some kind of inner ear problem, but he doesn't know."
"Mom, did you tell him that your mother had vertigo?"
"Well, no, I didn't think of that."
Simultaneously, Mom and I slap our foreheads.
"Y'know my sister and her daughter have it too."
"Grandma, if your mom and sister both had it, there's a pretty good chance you do to. Maybe that's why you're falling so much. If you tell the doctor maybe he can help you better. We'd all really like it if you'd stop falling. I don't want any more phone calls that start with 'grandma fell again.'"
Can't believe the woman thinks she knows everything about medicine and didn't connect her mother's vertigo to her own recent issues.

9:00 - Ride in back end of Highlander sitting on top of golf clubs so we can drop Grandma off on the way to get ice cream. Pray that no stupid drivers cause us to come to a sudden stop, or I will probably be cut in half by the cover for the back end space. Safely deposit Grandma at home, crawl out of the back end, and go for ice cream. Peppermint crunch custard - yum.