Lousy Day Yesterday

Sunday started with my mother deciding to drive herself to church. My dad had earlier, gone back to Ontario, OR, to finish up some paperwork, so it was my family staying over with my mother to keep her company over the weekend. Anyway, my mother had been to the church a couple of times and knew, roughly, how to get there.

Here's the thing, though--she's a lousy driver and has lived in a small dinky town where all the roads are straight and it takes only a few minutes to get from point A to point Z.

Anyway, while I was taking care of Lucas, I got a call from my mother. "I got in an accident, big time" is what she said, verbatim. Her voice was low and steady, so I wasn't sure how she was doing. I asked her if she needed me to come down and she did, so I drove down to help her out. Needless to say, when I got there, there were two patrol cars and my mother sort of standing there, a little helpless-looking.

My mother isn't as independent as one would hope. My dad controls the finances, a lot of the paperwork, etc., so my mom doesn't know how to navigate through such things when he's not around. Likewise, my dad can't cook and doesn't necessarily take the best care of himself if my mother weren't around. So there's a couple dynamic at play here. Meredith and I, in contrast, are quite independent.

So, finally, after the citations were issued and the tow-truck hauled the wreckage away, I dealt with all the authorities on behalf of my mother--insurance, auto body, authorities. . . All told, a lousy day. Having your folks move to your town is a blessing and a curse.

***

Today, though, is shaping up to be a better day. The folks at the auto body shop did a lot to boost my mother's confidence. All in all, my mother was pretty ashamed about the whole accident.

***

Lots to do today. Grading, prepping, gym. I'm ready for the summer.

***

Current Spin:

St. Vincent. "Paris is Burning."