Day 7 – Home Again

This damage goes all way down the passenger door.

Mom and I had a nice breakfast, even if I didn’t cook the eggs the way dad used to (but trust me, I will from now on ;->), listened to NPR radio that had us laughing for a couple of hours, and then headed to town for a stroll, lunch, and placing my car in the ferry line. I followed mom down the drive, where she paused to pick up her mail. She drove right up to her mailbox, with her car facing oncoming traffic. She was 75% off the road. This is the country. When she was done, and closed her mailbox, she simply crossed the oncoming lane (no traffic there, thank goodness), without looking for traffic coming behind her. I looked on in horror as a Jeep, going 45 MPH, came around the curve in the road, and with horn blazing, had to slam on its breaks to avoid rear-ending her. She gave no indication (swerving out of the way, speeding up, making conciliatory gestures) that she was aware of what she had just done. The whole way to town (4 miles) I wondered if the Jeep driver was going to follow her in order to have a ‘verbal’ with her. There would be no way I could have defended her! He didn’t. I would have! I have twice accosted other drivers when they almost killed my children in crosswalks by their school. Literally, chased them down, made them pull over, and gave them an adrenaline rush that let me know they didn’t have cardiac issues. Then I called the police, who to this day patrol the schools with far more attention during arrival and dismissal. As I followed mom through town at 15 MPH looking for a place to park, I watched her turn left in front of another driver who had the right-of-way. Fortunately, the other driver was also going slowly, and didn’t seem offended. We parked. I looked at mom’s car for the first time since I arrived, actually, since April. It’s sporting three new blemishes, one being pretty bad. I was able to photograph two of them without her knowing. The third is the back body panel on the driver’s side . It’s askew. She backed into something. This is the same person who retested and won the right to pilot a vehicle 14ish months ago, and had her new doctor sign a state document saying there’s no need to worry about her driving. I have some calls, e-mails and texts to attend to.

The car was run up against something yellow.

It’s been a long 9 days. I haven’t spent this much time with mom since my father was in the hospital in Feb/March of 2013. In some ways it was an easier time, and in some ways more challenging. My over all takeaway is that I’m glad to have made the trip happen. I think there are lots of potential regrets one can have in life, and this won’t be one of mine. Mom’s natural state of complaint about things that displeased her, in general, and at the ranch will fade from her memory (it likely already has), and I think she’ll be left with the warm fuzzys of having returned, and how incredibly wonderful everyone was to her. She simply won’t recall what she thought was flavorless, dry pork. I’m going to make her an album of photos to help her recall our time at the E/L.