Weight Update

I still don't know how much I weigh. Though trust me, I have not made a huge effort to find out. I finally got a message from the place where I normally weight and was informed that they will get back to me when the office is open again. That sucks. I keep drinking my water, taking my vitamins, eating my veggies and moving as much and as fast as I can. They will get an earful from me if/when they see me again. I went out there two weeks in a row and no one called me to let me know that they would not be there! That's just bad customer service. My time and resources are valuable.

Speaking of customer service. My mother has been here at Ches Coley for a week. She has been the hardest guest to please!

The timing of her arrival sucked because I needed to stock up on about everything.

She got here Saturday. My sister took my large vehicle so all of her misc. equipment could be transported from 130 miles away to my home. Meanwhile, I was put on the side of the road by my P.O.S. car ("piece of shit", for those unfamiliar with the expression) with a flat tire, broken axle arm and the startling realization that I was not getting to work any time soon. After a few phone calls and a couple of good Samaritans that couldn't actually help, the car got to the shop where I was not surprised by the total cost of the repairs. Bye Bye Emergency Fund.

I got home from work to find that my daughters have done me proud. My house is clean, my babies are in the bed and my mother has yet to arrive. She was not ready when they got there to pick her up. She said that she wouldn't be, and I tried to tell her that wouldn't be a good idea. People are driving 2 hours to get her and bring her to me. She didn't listen. She's 72 years old, bless her heart, and she will not be rushed. It's self-torture to try.

She got here so late that a light snack was all that was served. We got her as settled as we could at 10pm and relaxed while I waited for the other shoe to drop. It did the next day.

We got up and prepared breakfast for the family; when you have two toddlers in the house they don't care what day it is. They have to get up, be fed and entertained. We had to work it out with what was in the house for breakfast. I'm pretty good at working things out; No one went hungry.

I left my mother and sons in the care of my 15 year old daughter while I took my 13 year old with me and the One to get food for the house and other needed supplies. We were gone about an hour when my mother called me on my cell phone to ask if we had a plunger. "Why? What happened?" was my worried response. "I just need one." was her reply. Lord! Please don't tell me that I am going to come home to a flooded bathroom. I called my daughter back and asked her what was going on. She had no idea. My mother hadn't said anything to her about needing a plunger. I told her to look in the bathroom and give me a status report. All is clear. OK. Off to Costco!

After completing our run of the Costco and having a snack to keep me from passing out from starvation and dehydration, my cell phone rang again. "I'm hungry" my irritated mother said. "There's nothing to eat here." "We'll be home soon. I'll bring you something to eat."

Let me stop and tell you something about my home's food situation. There is very little quick and easy food. There are various components that can be combined in different ways to create a meal or snack. It is that way by design. There is fresh fruits, vegetables and always tuna, salmon and chicken for salads. You need imagination to eat in my house.

I brought her a turkey wrap. She said that the wrap was too tough and chewy.

She marveled at the sheer industriousness of how we deal with bulk purchases. We get down right away and portion the food into serving sizes. We know that you pay more for the convenience of packaged food, so we use that time to bond. It takes less and less time as we become more proficient at the tasks. Counting baby carrots, one cup of Cheerios, 1/4 cup of nuts and dried fruit. All dutifully packed into sandwich bags. It makes packing lunch much easier. It is an awesome sight to see all that food being prepped. My mother wondered aloud about how often we go through such an exercise. The "big" trip is once a month, followed by a smaller trip a few weeks later.

By Tuesday my mother complained about not having a "real meal" since her arrival. I
was off Wednesday and Thursday, so I cooked. We asked my mother if there was anything that she wanted, so we could get it and make it for dinner one night. She asked for cabbage and corn bread. OK, I can do that. Wednesday was ground turkey and beef with tomato, garlic and Italian seasoning, cabbage Ala Coley, and corn bread. It was tasty. When I asked my mother how she liked the meal she said, "It is better than last night." While sitting next to the person that has prepared the food the night before, that I really loved by the way. I couldn't wait to get her alone to tell her just how rude that comment was. Daughter as mother, full circle.

I actually don't mind hearing that someone doesn't like something I've made. It gives me a chance to tweak the recipe a little bit.

Now she wants to go check on her house. Two hours away! ONE WAY! I get tired just thinking about that drive. She apparently wants to see that her house is alright. Though the last time she was here, she didn't worry. Now she's upset with me because I won't spend my day off in the road so she can see her house for herself. I called my brother who lives an hour from her house and asked if he would check on it for her and he agreed. She's not satisfied and will probably pout all day. Mother as daughter, full circle.

I'll get her out to a BINGO game next week and she'll be alright. I'll set the babies on her and hope that she enjoys the distraction.

More to come...