Stealth Trip III

After getting my mom through security at our regional airport on Sunday, I returned to her Island home to do the first real 100% triage of the house. Yes, I’ve been there twice without her (Stealth trips I and II), but they were day trips, born of urgent necessity. This time, I spent the night, and was thorough. The following are the notes, in order of taking them, I took during the 22 hours I was there. I’ll post photos when I have time to down load my camera.

• Found a full cup of fruited herbal tea on counter. Fruit flies everywhere. Set apple cider vinegar trap. Caught scads.
• Kitchen sink unrinsed. Dirty dishes from breakfast left out. Happy fruit flies.
• Drinking gin again. Empty bottle in recycle, partially used bottle on liquor shelf.
• Found poppy seeds all over the house in film containers and Ziplocs (oldest labeled 1998). Scattered in the garden. 
• Three large crocks of flour. Lots of other redundant staples: Beans, brown sugar, rices etc.
• Toast left in toaster oven.
• Left electric oil heater on in bedroom. 
• Found Decon mouse bait bought in 2012. Deployed it. Mouse poop here and there.
• Found 4 film canisters of antique pot, and two packages of rolling papers.
• Found all the fly swatters mom said she couldn’t find last night, in plain sight.
• Tossed 8 bottles of expired over the counter medications and supplements.
• Tossed tofu that expired in 2012.
• Found cash ledgers kept on many envelopes that must help her track the cash she takes out of the bank every month (lots).
• The switch plates in the house are so filthy, I want to replace them.
• Worked on removing all paid bills/receipts older than 2015.
• There are at least 50 Post-it pads deployed in the house, maybe 65.
• There was an old (very dry) mouse poop on the bathroom counter.
• Found 3-4 wall calendars for the same year – all of them had entries on them! No wonder she can’t track anything.
• Found airline information and itinerary I sent her, that she couldn’t find in her e-mail or after printing out, in two places.
• Plant fertilizer on cutting board in kitchen.
• Left car unlocked.
• Found 6 maps of Island in car.
• Tool shed unlocked.
• Box collection moved from her office to tool shed.
• Dangerously narrow path through tool shed to clothes drier.
• Kleenex in every pocket of every piece of clothing. While clothing seems clean, it does make me wonder how often things get laundered.

 To be continued.