April 12, 2011
WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To say that I'm exhausted is an understatement of epic proportions.
Keeping secrets is tiring work!
Friday was my book launch.
It went very well. . .as well as these things ever go.
Stephen was able to get Mum there, in spite of Mer's efforts to delay him as much as possible with her various wants and needs.
At one point, Stephen actually had to abandon her, leave her at her apartment while he picked up Mum.
Everything is about Mer and the world will bend to her will whether it wants to or not.
At least as far as she's concerned.
So, imagine my chagrin when she called me to say she had "dashed" into her apartment to change her clothes and when she came out, Stephen was gone.
Why that child didn't think to just put on a decent outfit prior to going to the movies is something I've yet to ask her.
I'm not sure I want the answer, to tell you the truth.
Years of experience with Mer had provided enough empirical evidence for me to discern on my own what events had occured.
Stephen picked her up from the mall at 2.00.
Their only mission was to get my mother.
BUT. . . .
GST cheques had come in and Mer needed hers cashed.
No problem.
Except that she doesn't have her bank card.
Or any other id for that matter.
Because she lost her wallet.
Again.
Not having such necessities has never hindered Mer.
She manages, somehow, to make do.
Mostly because of her brother, I suspect.
Of course, because she only had a GST cheque valued at under $65.00, and such things as, oh, let's say, FOOD, are optional, she did what any responsible young person would do when they only have a little bit of money.
She went to the liquor store.
Not one liquor store, but two.
Because the first one didn't have what she wanted.
Then there was something about a convenience store, but I may just be inserting that from another incident.
Or I just don't want to remember.
Stephen is looking at his watch.
The clock in the car.
Feeling time ticking away.
Moving like sand through an hourglass.
Towards my fury if Mum isn't at my booklaunch.
And Stephen knows that my mother has been ready since the day before.
And she watches the clock like a hawk.
So, when Mer asked if she could just stop by her place "for a minute to change" and then she was still in there after 15 minutes, he snapped.
Left her there.
Stephen is a great guy.
Mer sometimes takes advantage of his good nature.
None of this would have happened if I had of been in the car.
Maybe that's the lesson.
Which would work if I could just figure out a way to clone myself.
So, shortly after she called to inform me she had been left at her apartment, Stephen called me from the nursing home to share how come he had left her at her apartment.
Picture me in my office, trying to remain calm before my book launch, editing Keith's paper about Tennyson's Ulysses, trying to remain calm before my book launch, and Mer calls and then Stephen calls and then I am not longer working hard to remain calm before my book launch.
I may have snapped, "I DON'T NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!"
After we're off the phone, I start yoga breathing because Keith is beside me telling me to calm down, there's no reason to get upset.
All I knew is that it was 3.15 pm and there was no Mum, no Stephen, no Mer and I wasn't certain I had the intestinal fortitude to NOT throttle her when she eventually showed up.
Everything turned out fine.
Stephen, Mum and Mer arrived.
I was very happy my parents could be there.
So much of what I do is unknown to them, so to have them present, to see that I actually do accomplish things is important.
For them and for me.
I said my little spiel.
But not before my father took it upon himself to proofread the few points I had put to paper, and point out to Keith my errors.
Keith, being the little diplomat, and having already witnessed one Mummy meltdown, responded that I wasn't actually going to say everything on the page.
My brother was there, which was VERY nice because he was able to assist with the parentals.
And believe me when I say assistance is required.
The lesson here: never have a book launch when Emily has to work and is unable to assist with the picking up of Mum.
By 4.45 pm it was all over.
Stephen was taking Mum back to the nursing home and dropping Mer and Keith somewhere.
I was directing student to take what was left of the raw veggie platters for their own consumption.
Afterwards, I was with my brother in my office, just sitting.
Talking.
And he gave me a you-just-published-your-first-book-gift.
A Kobo E-Reader!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With 100 free books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the capacity to store 1000 books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ironically, this was just days after Stephen started on his mission to rid my side of the room of its tottering and teetering piles of books.
I LOVE my e-reader.
So please, feel free to send me books.
If you can do such a thing.
I'm not technologically advanced enough to know if this is even possible.
When Stephen finally got back to the office, he was exhausted.
I was exhausted.
And it was very clear in my position that dinner would not be forthcoming from my efforts.
But from my wallet.
Thus, we went to pick Em up from work, as there was no school on Friday and began the Fredericton-Friday-night-dinner-hunt.
Swiss Chalet had an hour, minimum, wait for a table.
Lunar Rogue said 15 minutes.
After 30 we left.
On our way back uptown, I suggested Yassous and if that didn't work, there was a Subway in the same plaza and we'd be eating there.
Just as we arrived at Yassous, a table became available.
YEAH!
I love Greek food, and, in spite of how Mer behaved when she worked there, everyone was very nice to us.
Saturday morning, all three kids had to be at a staff meeting for 8 am.
Meaning I had to be up at 6 am to ensure Em was ready to walk out the door for 7.50 am.
And even two hours is usually not enough.
So we were cutting it close.
While they were at their staff meeting, I was in my office, marking assignments that should have been marked ages ago.
Em called at 11.30 saying they were finished and the next stage of the day began.
Getting the necessities for Stephen's SURPRISE party.
Keeping this party a secret had taken over my life.
I decided that Stephen only turns 50 once.
At least theoretically.
And this was something that should be celebrated.
Feted.
Partied about.
So, during our drive back from Montreal during the March Break, when it looked as though I was sleepin soundly in the passenger seat, I was actually planning and plotting about how to pull off a surprise party.
Because I had only ever done it once before.
When my brother turned 30.
And no offence to my brother, but that was a while ago.
The party will have to wait until the next entry.
We are in to the last two days of classes.
I was at work yesterday, meeting with students until 6.30 pm.
Up this morning at 5.00 am to mark assignments.
Blogging throughout this month may be a challenge.
And I may not have much sanity left by the end of it.
Not that I have much now.
Just sayin' it before you do.
Title Lyric: No Reason for Being Late by Jason Boland and the Stragglers
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