Christmas Visit

You know how it is, you see something on ebay that strikes your interest and bid. Then you research the item elsewhere or even on ebay and find it quite a bit cheaper and hold your breath while until the end of your auction waiting and hoping to be outbid. Checking your new email hoping you get an outbid notice, checking the auction page every once in a while.

The cause of the accident has been determined. Apparently the driver's phone was ringing, he dropped it and reached down to the floor of the vehicle to pick it up, pulling the steering wheel with him.

Spoke with my mother and sister a night or so ago. Mum has moved back home, during the daytime hours. Spends the nights at her sister's place is what they told me. Apparently there was some fighting between my sister and her husband about money and other issues that mum couldn't listen to any more. I'm not sure if this is good or bad. We'll see.

Apparently the brain test she had needs to be reinforced with another one, the results will be coming in the next few weeks.

I got a chance to catch up with my mother and sister this weekend, mum is doing a little better but there is a small fear of some sort of brain injury. She seems the same to me if you allow a little room for depression and repressed anger, all the usual feelings that you'd expect when the love of your life has been prematurely taken from you. She will need to take what has been referred to in layman's terms as a brain test. Basically being isolated and observed for 5 days. Sounds pretty taxing to me. The will has been read and Kieran's children are probably going to protest it but mum's lawyer says the will is pretty solid.

I have been using my debit card for almost every transaction for a few years now and have realised several problems with them. They use the familiar credit card model. Unfortunately, credit cards weren't designed to be used every day for almost every transaction.

After receiving my latest replacement card last May(2005), the signature had worn off by August. Over time I have used different pens and inks to sign my card, from ballpoint ink pens to permanent markers. They all wear off in only a matter of months.

My sister took mum on a small holiday to the beach. It seems to have done some good. There are still plenty of issues to be looked after of course, but mum seems to be in a little better spirits.

What do you say to someone who has lost the love of their life decades before they should have?
What do you say to them when you are half a world away? What do you tell her when she feels like she isn't getting over the event even though it's only been a few months?

There's good news and then there's bad news. Since I was recently offered a new job that I couldn't really refuse accepting as the pay is good and the opportunity is more in line with my skillset and career goals. The bad news is that I won't be able to take any time off until March at the earliest as there's the whole 90 day waiting period.

Now I must let the family know that it's not a possibility. Fortunately phone calls are fairly inexpensive.

Mum has been taken home to my sister's place. She has moved in with her. After redoing the bathroom to make it more accessible and user friendly for someone with limited mobility. It does sound like she is moving around a lot better now, able to walk up stairs. The one ankle that had to be operated on is swollen and isn't small enough to allow a shoe to cover it yet. That will change in time.