Tuesday, May 20, 2014 

Lucy is at the groomer. Val is much relieved. And I am back editing files. 

Oh, Sleeper’s Awake! Mom called. She asked again about who gave me my lightweight Polartec jacket. For the hundreth time, I said, Betty. Betty, who comes over every day, twice a day, to walk the pups with me. Mom knows her by name; yet this morning, she asked Do you ever see her anymore? Yes, mom. Every day. 

I go into the kitchen to turn the bentwood stool. Mom would sit right on the edge and has done so before. Am trying to preserve what I can. Must prepare her cereal and coffee and toast. Her earlier shouts woke Rob, who is now back in bed, trying to get more ZZZ’s. 

I showered mom, made her cereal, and told her that Rob would make her coffee. They share a cup. Mom drinks very little. I decided I should sit with her as she ate her cereal. Started a Mozart Divertimento first to soften the sounds. Sitting with mom during breakfast is something I assiduously avoid, as she makes so much noise—mild slurping as if drinking hot soup and the incessant clanking of her spoon against the cereal bowl as she lines up and submerges all the little Cheerios equally. She talked about the cat on the ceiling being up there all day and night and how cold he must be. (Mom has determined somehow that he is a male cat!) She asked no less than 5 to 10 times about where Rob was, commenting each time that he likes to sleep. She asked why he sleeps so late, and I reminded her that she is the one who usually sleeps late, but that Rob goes to bed very late, being a night owl. Explanations are virtually useless. She either does not hear them, does not understand them, or dismisses them summarily. 

Mozart still playing beautifully. Will wash some dishes and get back to work and hope that mom will not disturb me too many times.

 

 

Monday, May 19, 2014 

Valentino’s turn at the groomer. Lucy goes tomorrow. Then work all day. Had 12 files to review and get back to a client by the end of the day. While Val was gone, it was peaceful and quiet. The energy of the place was bearable. The minute I picked him up and brought him home (looking gorgeous, of course), the place livened up. A not-so-welcome change when there is work to do.

With mom and Val calling while I worked, it became almost intolerable. I couldn’t yell at my mother, but I lost it with Val, who skulked upstairs, tail down. Of course I was remorseful, but I had to truck on with my work.

I worked late into the night. While mom was watching TV and Val was napping, I heard what I thought was the beginning of a yawn. But it stretched on and on and on and grew louder and louder. At first, I thought it was my mother, but it was too drawn out and too well supported to be anything that came from her. I realized then that Val was having a bad dream. The only other time I had heard a sound like that was when Lorenzo was emerging from anesthesia. Of course I gave Val a bunch of hugs and kisses and massaged his leg to reassure him that everything was OK.

I am not conveying, of course, the tension in this house as I attempted to get the files out to the client at the end of the day. There were questions and phone calls back and forth. Mixed up files. In some cases, they sent me earlier iterations of files that did not have my corrections. So I had to do some scouting. Problem was that so many of the files were closely named, but for a number at the end of the lengthy title. This meant opening a slew of files and checking to see if my comments were there.

By 10:30, the work was in and mom and Val and Lucy were asleep. We roused the pups briefly for their last trip outside for the night. Then off to wind down and watch a horror flick with Rob: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” I think Washington has already been taken over!