Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Not the Best Couple of Days

I am glad to see the end of today.  Yesterday and today have not been the best couple of days I've had.

Yesterday (Sunday) wasn't too bad.  I chatted with my daughter in the morning - she told me she was going out with friends, later in the evening, and will be home late.  I had my weekly chat with neighbor T.

Cousin P called and we chatted for a bit.  She informed me that our aunt T had fallen in the bathroom and knocked her head on the toilet, and although she hadn't fractured anything, has been hospitalized for observation.  Later, I spoke with cousin V, who is aunt T's daughter; she said aunt was being kept in the hospital for another day or two.

Later in the afternoon, I went to pick up my medication refills.  Cousin P asked if she could ride with me to go to the dollar store that is next door to the pharmacy, so I gave her a ride and bought some bananas, popcorn, and cheese crackers from the dollar store, myself (spent $2.79).

Daughter called me as soon as she got back to her apartment, last night, at 11:30 p.m.  I got upset with her because she took the subway, and then, the bus, home, from San Francisco, alone, at that time of the night,  after an evening out with friends.  I had thought her friends would drive her home.  In my opinion, it was too late for her to be travelling alone by public transit at that time in the night.  She, of course, thinks I over-reacted, which I probably did!  After all, she is 25 years old.  But I am an over-protective mother; I admit that.  Daughter did say that she realizes it is because I care that I got upset.

I was still mulling over what she did and getting upset about it, all over again, this morning. 

Probably as a result of that, I backed up into a pole when I was trying to park my car in the parking garage, this morning, and damaged my car bumper!  It isn't badly dented, but scratched and the side panel of the car bumped out a bit!  I tried to push it back into place, but not all of it would go back!  I don't normally swear, but I did swear, this morning, when I realized I had backed into the pole!

And if that is not enough, I am still without hot water as no technician came out today.  I called the company in the morning and they promised to call me back with a date and time by the end of the day, today, but didn't.  So, I guess I will call, again, tomorrow.

As I said, not the best couple of days.

Anyway, I went to the office today and managed to get some work done.  I also tossed a few more items and recycled the 2013 day planner.  After I came home, I took the trash cans to the curb.  Aunt C called to ask if I had my hot water heater fixed and I said not yet.  Friend R called, too. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Daughter got home safely, last night
- We were able to talk about it and she understands (sort of) why I was upset
- My car was not badly damaged and no one got hurt
- I still have running water and I am able to boil some when I need hot water
- The day is done and tomorrow is a new day

I hope your Monday was better than mine!

20 comments:

  1. You've had a time of it Bless. A little bit of swearing won't harm anyone and it probably released your frustration so don't be hard on yourself.
    Rotten though it is at the moment, the car and water heater will be fixed (eventually) and you can put it behind you. Your daughter got home safely and from what you say she is a sensible young lady so sometimes we just have to trust their judgement.
    I hope your Aunt is OK following her fall. It's good they kept her in hospital just to be on the safe side.
    Sending love, and I hope your week improves. X

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    1. Thank you, Jules. I am making mountains out of mole hills, aren't I? "All's well that ends well" - she got home, safely, and she assured me that there were plenty of people around (Berkeley is a college town, after all). Yes, the water heater will get fixed, eventually, and the car, while I am angry with myself for being so careless, is not too badly damaged, and more importantly, no one else was involved or got hurt! No damage to the pole, either, except some of its paint is now on my bumper!

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  2. It sounds like no hot water is getting old. Very old. I hope someone comes today. And as for backing into the pole, that's very aggravating. Are you going to get the damaged fixed? I don't usually. When I first read that, all I could think of was at least it wasn't another car that you ran inot. When someone else's car is involved, the whole situation gets a lot more complicated, even if it's a minor bump.

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    1. Live and Learn, even more than the lack of hot water is the fact that water continues to leak and I am thinking that is water that is being wasted for which I am paying! The leak is at the top, from the release valve and when the water to the heater got turned off, it started to leak from the lever at the turn off, itself. I am waiting for a replacement valve, that is supposed to be shipped out to me, today. The technician can't come out till I get the replacement part.

      I am thinking I won't be getting the car fixed anytime, soon. It is more cosmetic than anything else. I might get an estimate for fixing it, though. Knowing how these things go, they'll probably say I need to replace the whole bumper and side panel to the tune of a couple of thousand dollars. I don't mind driving around with a scratched bumper. Yes, I am very glad that another car was not involved. Actually, I was concentrating on avoiding the large van parked next to me, and not paying enough attention to the rear.

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  3. You certainly have had a run of not so good life events. By now the lack of hot water must be very annoying to say the least.

    Do you know what caused aunt T to fall? Such a worry as you age.

    Today is International Day of Happiness 😀 per the morning news! Don't know about that but it is the first day of Spring, daughter and grandson traveling home from Paris, France and I am happy that they got to make this trip and make wonderful memories.

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    1. Sandy, I don't want to complain too much and tempt fate, you know? But, it seems I get easily overwhelmed, these days, when things happen.

      Aunt T's balance has been getting steadily worse. We thought it was due to old age (she's 90), but, according to my cousin, her doctors are now suspecting she might have autonomic disorder (apparently she also has Parkinson's).

      Oh, how nice that your daughter and grandson were able to go to Paris, France! I hope they've had a lovely visit and that they have a safe journey back.

      Happy International Day of Happiness! I am happy because the part for the water heater was just delivered, not 5 minutes ago, and I was able to get an appointment to have the technician out to repair the heater! He is supposed to come before 4:00 p.m. I am happy that I decided to work from home, today, so that I could be home when the part arrived so I could call and schedule the repair appointment for today, before the major storm that is expected to move in tonight and last until Friday!

      Happy first day of spring, too! :)

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  4. I'm sorry your day did not go well! I agree with you though. I would have worried myself, about your daughter traveling alone so late at night! Sometimes we just have to pray our kids to safety! Sorry about your car....some times it would be so nice to just "turn the clock back" a minute! Andrea

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    1. Thank you, Andrea. I guess we all worry about our children and their safety. One hears so many bad things happening to people just going about their daily activities. But, like you say, all one can do is pray and trust that all will be well. As for the car, well, it doesn't look too bad and no one got hurt and no other property got damaged. I'm counting my blessings!

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  5. I think the hardest thing for me to do now that the older kids are out of the house is to stop mothering them. I mean, I still want to mother them and I'll always be their mother but they're also adults now and they can and need to make their own decisions... and mistakes. I understand why you were upset with your daughter and that you were worried and I would have been as well. I told my daughter over Spring Break that I was happy that I was no longer aware of where she was at all times because it was exhausting to always worry about her safety. When she calls me from a store late at night to ask about something, then I do worry about whether she made it back home safely and so I text her the next day to ask whether she's OK but it takes all I've got to not call her in the middle of the night to demand to know whether she made it home, lol. I think all the access to news and social media has made a lot of us a little more paranoid than we probably need to be, truth be told. It's a fine line to show that we care and also to let them handle their own lives and it's a hard thing to maneuver. I hope you and your daughter are on good terms once again!

    I can totally empathized with backing into the pole! For sure you were distracted by all your worry and the confrontation! That's happened to me before too. A stark reminder that we really need to make sure that we are concentrating 100% on the driving when we do operate a vehicle! I'm glad the damage isn't mechanical and you are also OK and no one else was involved!

    I'm also sorry about the continued problem with the water heater! I would assume that since you said the water heater was outside of the house, the technician can come fix it without you being there? Or is it in your garage? It's very irritating when service people won't give you even the minimal information needed to know that someone is definitely scheduled to come look at your problem! I sure hope they do call you back today. If not, could you call a plumber? ((HUGS)) I hope your Tuesday is much better.

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    1. Nathalie, you are right, of course. My daughter is an adult, after all; I need to allow her to make her own decisions and not worry about her safety. I told her as much, yesterday, and she just rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, right!" LOL. She knows me too well!

      The car is not too badly damaged and, as you say, no one else was involved! But, yes, a good reminder not to drive when distracted or upset!

      The water heater is scheduled to be repaired today! Yay! I had to wait until a part was delivered, which it was, this morning. Then, I called the repair people and begged them to send someone before the forecasted major storms hit the area (otherwise, they might say they can't fix it in the rain!); they have assured me that a repair person will be out before 4:00 p.m. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is a simple repair and not a "you'll have to replace the whole heater and that is not covered by the warranty!"

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  6. So sorry you have had a bunch of niggling events to disturb your peace. When things pile up it always seems even worse than one at a time. I'm glad your water heater is going to be repaired at last. I was going to suggest that you put chewing gum round the leaky area, LOL.
    It is still very cold at night but sunny in the days. This morning when I was tying back the bedroom drapes I saw a little chickadee sipping at the snow on the porch roof. I guess it was his only option for a drink, and then back to the feeder. They are so polite, only take one seed at a time and fly away to eat it on a branch, whereas the finches settle in at the feeder and drop some of the sunflower seeds, to the delight of the squirrels who forage underneath!

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    1. Thanks, Bushlady. Never a dull moment! It's the type of excitement I can do without, though, you know?

      Aw, poor little chickadee, trying to find some liquid water. Hope the spring thaw comes soon! So kind of you to feed the birds (and the squirrels!)

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  7. Oh Bless, I am so sorry that you have no hot water and that you dented the bumper on your car. I am just thankful that you were not hurt. I get it about being an overprotective mother because I am too. Praying that tomorrow is a much better day for you.

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    1. Thank you, Debbie. They are small things in and of themselves, especially when compared to what others are dealing with; upsetting though they may be, I am grateful that they are all I have to deal with! I'll post some pictures, later.

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  8. I am impressed that even on a not very good day, you still find things to be thankful for. It's a lesson that many of us should remember. Sorry to hear about your problems. I hope things are sorted out soon,

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    1. Thank you, Eloise. Yes, I try to find things for which to be thankful, each day. I know it sounds trite, but I am grateful for each day that I am privileged to live, no matter what challenges the day might hold. That is a decision I made after my cancer diagnosis, that I shall be grateful for each day and seek that days's blessings. :)

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  9. It's not overprotective to be concerned about your daughters travel arrangements. I would have been worried too!

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    1. Thank you, Eloise. I tell her, "Better safe than sorry!" But, she's an adult, now, and I need to back off, a bit. :)

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