It Has Begun!

My soon to be 79 year old mom fell and broke her shoulder last summer while she was visiting my cousin in Seattle. It was her right shoulder and she is right handed. Although, she has recovered, she has lost a great deal of use of her arm and hand. She is a very independent control freak but even she has admitted that she can no longer take care of her 4 acre yard full of flowers and a garden. So..the hunt for a house began several months ago. She found one two miles from my house and the buying process began.

Monday night, my mom drove up to my house to spend the night before the closing. She brought her new cell phone and I spent half the night entering numbers into the phone. We also had to get her to pick out a tone that she could hear. She said that the best show to watch on TV was the off button while she sat in my normal place on the couch.

Mom needed to put her van in the shop to have the air conditioner repaired while she was here. She never asked me to take off work to go with her to her closing but I decided to anyway. The plan for the day was to drop the van off at the shop, pick up Sharon’s car that she had left in town, and go get breakfast. We were going to meet a man at the new house to get an estimate on refinishing the hardwood floors and then a plumber was meeting us to give her an estimate on remodeling the bathroom. After lunch, we were going to the 1:30 closing. On the way to the shop, mom tells me that she is not sure what the amount to write on the check nor to whom it should be made out. She said that she tried to call her realtor but had to leave a voice mail.

We got to the shop and found that the owner had a doctor’s appointment and would not be in until Wednesday. This really did not present a problem because my mom had already asked to borrow my truck for a few days. I drive a vehicle that gets much better gas mileage for the most part so not having her van was not an issue.

Mom: Well, maybe I should bring it back some other time.

Me: Mr. H will be back tomorrow. You cannot drive it when you can’t turn off the heat, you’ll have a stroke.

Mom: But Mr. H isn’t here so I can’t get back this afternoon.

Me: I thought you were borrowing my truck anyway.

Mom: It’s just not what I planned.

Me: [sighing] What do you want to do?

Mom: I guess we’ll leave it if you think it will be OK.

So, we leave the truck at the shop that was open for business even though Mr. H wasn’t there and headed to breakfast. Mom’s cell rang, it was her realtor. They were just chatting away so I told her to ask about the check. She ignored me. They talk a while longer; I suggest that she ask about the check again. She gave me the ‘I know what I am doing look’ and said, “I already know about the check.” She had just told me that she didn’t so I asked if I could have her cell phone. Not only did I find out the amount and to whom the check should be addresses but also that it had to be a bank draft! Ok…add run by the bank before meeting the floor guy.

It was only 8:15 by this time and my mom was pouting because I made her feel “inadequate.” I am not a morning person, not grouchy; it is just that I don’t function on all cylinders before 9 or so. Not the best start for my ‘day off.’

We ordered breakfast and I smoothed out her hurt feelings. We headed toward the bank that I use to see about obtaining a bank draft. The bank opened at 9 and we arrived shortly thereafter. Well, my mom’s bank does not have a branch anywhere within an hour’s drive of us and my bank will not do the transaction. They suggested that we have mom’s bank wire the money to my bank, no guarantee that it would get there before her 1:30 closing, and they could issue the check in my name, etc. My mom is starting to panic and my stress level isn’t exactly low. I was pretty irritated at the realtor for not telling mom earlier…like before she left home.

We went to another bank in town and they were great. They wouldn’t issue the check but they found a bank about 30 minutes away that was affiliated that would. While they were calling, I left mom at the bank and ran to the realtor’s office to pick up a key to the house. So, at 10:25 we left the bank and flew to the house to meet the flooring guy. He was prompt and they agreed on a price and date. He left just as the plumber arrived. They talked and talked and decided on a plan. It was about 11:35 when the plumber left. I rushed mom out the door to get in the car and it wouldn’t unlock! WTF, the keyless entry malfunctioned. It would not do anything. So, I had to unlock the door with the key which promptly set off the alarm! Welcome to the neighborhood. Hope no one works 3rd shift. I got the alarm off and off we go to the bank across the river. The bank issued the check, we ran through a drive thru, and arrived at the closing with 10 minutes to spare.

The closing started 30 minutes late but went off uneventfully. I took mom to my house, emptied out the bed of the truck, packed up her dog and sent her home. I emptied the trash and litter box, changed into gym clothes, and went back to town for my 4 PM workout. On the way, I stopped to let someone test drive Sharon’s car.

When I arrived at the gym, I told my trainer to work me to death so I could work off some stress. She took me at my word..I can barely move today!