Hello from Calgary
I’m sitting at my stepmother’s home watching morning television at a volume that is making my head throb. Myrtle needs the T.V. loud in order to hear it at all, so if I’m going to keep her company, I have to endure. Otherwise it has been a good visit; I find her interesting and lucid this time.
So far, I have seen two of my three darling daughters while in the city; they are all so very busy with school and work and personal life. I haven’t planned any “shenanigans” for this trip, as I’m interested in seeing family only. As I drove down on the Banff/Jasper parkway (through the Rocky Mountains), I thought about buying a concession or cook trailer or an office trailer, appliances and such, and perhaps a flatdeck utility trailer for Gary. Now that I’m here, I don’t want to drive around finding addresses, or I can’t find what I thought I wanted… I feel “stalled”.
Today I’m waiting with Myrtle for the “gas company” to visit her tenant’s side of the duplex. I have to let them in and then lock up after they’re here. The same company is going to inspect Myrtle’s furnace, etc. tomorrow, but she says I don’t have to be here for that. Despite the fact that I’m just “hanging out” and visiting with Myrtle, I feel like my time is wasted.
I took my stepmom to a CT scan appointment yesterday, and there was a lot of waiting associated with that, but it went smoothly and these things are “labours of love”. The only eventful thing was assisting Myrtle, now an elderly, frail lady, into the cab of my 4×4 truck; I can’t quite lift her, and it was a difficult process. At least I didn’t let her fall. Even finding a parking space in the lots at the hospital is daunting, but I was patient. I had planned to return to Calgary to accompany Myrtle to some more procedures in November, but her tenant is insistant about taking her to those, so I guess I’ll just go home and hole up for the winter. I’m not indispensible! My daughters remind me that I can still come back to Calgary if I WANT to.
The drive down through the Park was spectacular! For almost the whole day, the skies were bright and clear: the glaciers and snow on the mountains sparkled, Bow Lake was as brilliant turquoise as I ever remember, and the colours of the foliage was amazing.
That’s as much as I have to say today. Thanks for checking in on me. ~ Ann
