Tales from the Steppes

2005-08-24

2:08 p.m.
Wednesday, August 24

No music today. I have the MM with me at work because he had to go to the pediatrician today - both swimmer's ear and an infection in one ear. He was supposed to go to a water park with the YM, as this was his last day of camp, so I knew he was really hurting when he said he didn't want to go. I am proud of him for making the right choice when the alternative was pretty tempting, though I really wish he were not here at work with me.

It is hard to believe that it is only Wednesday and I just got back from my vacation. I have lost count of the number of emails, letters, and phone calls I have had to deal with already from irate engineers. Their righteous indignation at being told to follow the law is growing very tired. I am sending one plan back for the third time with the same damn comment - please delineate the wetlands. Instead, they insist on drawing a blob, with no data points. Of course, the first time around, they conveniently left the wetlands off the plan. The problem is that this particular engineer doesn't like to actually visit the site but instead works off of old aerial photos.

One guy I am dealing with is a deck contractor, who keeps telling me how important his client is - she is a producer for a major news program. And how determined she is to have a larger deck. He keeps implying that somehow there is a personal consequence to my refusing to allow her to build into a conservation easement. Ummmm, no, I don't think so. The guy is way out of his leaugue and does not seem to have a clue yet.

Yesterday they sent my father home from the hospital. No, he is not any better. No, there is no diagnosis. Apparently, he has no feeling in his feet, double vision, and muscular tremors, as well as being wasted away and constantly fatigued. When he does walk, it has to be with a walker - a cane is no longer enough. I have tried to convince my parents that they need to hire a nurse but they are resisting this idea. Money is not an issue - they just don't want to deal with it.

My father cannot be left to his own devices as he is quite unsteady so my mother is having to care for him around the clock. Given that she is a retired nurse, this sounds like it should work. However, my mother has the bone density of a 90 year old and gets infusions like a bone cancer patient. Something about smoking for more than 40 years, having a hysterectomy in her 30's, never taking hormone replacement therapy, never taking calcium, and never exercising. I love it when she starts going on about how I should get my bone density checked - you know I have broken my arm 4 times, maybe there is something wrong with me. Snicker. There may be something wrong with me but Somehow I do not think it is my bone density.

I have pointed out to my parents that if my father starts to fall or collapses again and grabs onto my mother, she will fall as well. Even in his emaciated state, he will pull her over, given that she is pretty small herself. No, I don't take after my mother. So then we could be looking at a broken hip or something. The last time she fell, she shattered her wrist and it took years to get it back so that her hand is usable. But my parent's are going to do however they see fit. At least they are now both agreed that they need to sell their house.