I just (and I mean just, as in, haven’t unpacked the suitcase yet) got back from Chicago. The planned five-day trip turned into six (I should have known better than to schedule the meeting with the lawyer for the last day), but the estate tax return is now signed and with the lawyer to file, the bills are up-to-date, Dad’s new laptop has all the software he asked for on it (which is probably not all that he’s going to want, but I can’t read his mind, and he’s nearly 90 and never had a particularly good memory to begin with), his iPod is up to date, the latest round of banking arrangements is done (which involved a three-inch stack of photocopies of documents and signed and notarized things that took two visits to the lawyer to get all properly done – don’t ask), and we figured out how to run his new HDTV as a monitor for the laptop so that he can do slideshows of the family photos with music through the good speakers.
I still have a to-do list as long as my arm, but at least it’s new stuff to do, and I can do most of it from here instead of having to be there. For a while, anyway.
Needless to say, no writing got done.
Which is the long-winded explanation for why it will probably be another few days before I get to the next blog post. And if anyone has anything they want me to blather on about, I’m open to suggestions.
And I am now going to go take a nice hot bath (even with good weather, the 8-hour drive today was hard on my shoulders). See you all later.
Wow, that was a busy few days! I love hearing stories about people in their 90s taking advantage of so much technology – staying current keeps him young for sure.
As for blathering, I’m sure I have ideas, but it’s first thing in the morning and my brain’s not yet functioning… 😉
Hmmm… suggestions. How about a post on endings? They’re the part of the story I have the most trouble with.
Enjoy the bath and rest! Baby the shoulders. 🙂
Alex – Dad is one of those people who never grew up, in the best way. He was saying the other day that what he’d really like is to be frozen and then woken up every twenty or thirty years for a day “to see what’s happened!” I could tell stories… And he’s a mechanical engineer, which means he’s always been a technophile. The more gadgets, the better!
Chicoy – Endings it is. I’m still cleaning up here, but as soon as I’m done, you’re on.
Lisa – I appear to have seriously pulled a shoulder muscle; no idea how. Looks as if I’m going to have to learn to mouse left-handed, at least for a while!
Eep! Good luck with that… and so sorry to hear it. Aching shoulders are no joke, especially for writers!
I hope you feel better soon. Trying to do things wrong-handed is just hard.
I just discovered you! Magic & Malice was very interesting, I loved traveling back in time to Victorian times. Perhaps living in Eureka, CA with all it’s history makes me appreciate your charm in bringing those “olden” days to life. Strange, but I was unable to picture Mairelon’s face. I love the thought of magic, and know that surely it survives in this day and age. At least I would hope so, modern day “people of the earth,” believe that it does. May your days be filled with many blessings, your father is lucky to have you. Please except my condolence on the loss of your mother. Lena H.
YotKot – Thanks!