Luckiest number; just about perfect for the topic.
Travel Recap
Wednesday — I worked about an hour early in the morning, just making sure things were running correctly. No issues, so finish up packing, and wait for my wife to get home to take me to the train station; thank you.
When I got to the station, I was a tad earlier than I’d planned. It wasn’t very cold, the vintage booths inside the station are incredibly uncomfortable, so I’ll just go sit on one of the many benches on the platform and wait. Fine. Whatever.
So I plopped my perpetually-numb derriere on the plastic-rubber-coated steel mesh bench….and slid right off. A nice gentleman who was waiting for the train to Norfolk, and who I’ve not yet emailed, helped me up. I could tell there’d be bruising, maybe a scrape on one of my legs, but everything seemed to be sort of working; I’m fine. I just emailed him this morning, taking a break from writing this, and I feel a bit about that.
I spoke to the man who’d helped me up about how I’d gotten to the Beltway Swamp permanently from where he was. Good conversation. I finally got around to emailing him this morning.
The car attendant helped me get the chairs reconfigured to a bed, and I was able to stretch out and sleep.
Thursday — The train trip was rather uneventful, but I was a bit uncomfortable on the ride. Meals were still odd from COVID adjustments. You’re still eating in your roomette/room, which isn’t exactly ideal; I kind of would like to go to the dining car. When my wife and I went to New Orleans on our honeymoon, we had some good discussions with other couples who got seated in the same booth.
When I got to Hattiesburg, I was missing something that I’d thought I’d used in the car. Nope. Can’t find it. Whatever. It cost probably thirty bucks; I’m not going to spend too much time looking. My aunt, and another family member picked me up at the station, and we went to my mom’s house.
It was dark, but at least the electricity was on. They left, and I wento to take a leak. No water. Fuuuuuuuuck. Look at what local hotels are going to cost, book a room, call my aunt to come back and take me to the hotel. Call my mom, and tell her that I wasn’t going to come see her that night.
I hadn’t gone for dinner on the train as it was earlier than I’d normally eat. Being later in the evening, nothing was open for delivery. So on to the hotel convenience store for….a Barq’s, a Hot Pocket, and some cookies.
Friday — Phone calls to various places to get the water turned back on. This was a bill that didn’t get to my brother who’s paying the bills related to the house. I really thank the folks at d’Iberville Water for helping coordinate getting things turned back on. Went over to see my mom, gave her gifts, spent some time, then back to her house to be there for the water restoration. I’d booked two nights in the hotel. Ordered a Po’Boy from Quayve Brothers, which I think is probably partially-owned by the mayor, who was a high school football teammate of my father’s.
Saturday — Birthday celebration for both my grandfather and my gradfather, and my mother at Cafe New Orleans. Another Po’Boy, though a different variety. Spent some time with family members finding out what’s going on. Stormy weather. People might not understand what a morning Thunderstorm is like; I appreciate it. But it was kind of last pushes of warm weather. It got cold in the afternoon. Well, about at cold as it gets along the Gulf Coast. Some good conversation with family members about my mom’s condition; I’m not going to elaborate. I slept in a recliner in the living room, which wasn’t at all ideal, but it worked, I guess.
Sunday — Wanted some coffee, so I ordered some, and donut holes from the only place that was delivering. Much like the hcaiI really don’t remember too well, unfortunately. Looking through SMS chains with my wife, I think I was spending a considerable amount of time communicating back-and-forth with my neurologist. The fall may have contributed to some of the symptoms I was (and still am) experiencing. I discussed some of how my mother had planned to set up the house. She’d sort of been using the master bedroom (still not going to be used to calling it the “primary bedroom.” Sorry, not sorry.) But she’d kinda-sorta set that up as a TV room, though she said she had planned to use it as a bedroom. I put down some things so I could sleep on the floor, which wasn’t at all ideal.
Monday — Went and spent time with my mom at the care facility. It was her birthday, so I ordered dinner again from Quayve Bros.. Gave her, also, the few donut holes I had left. I didn’t get to eat any of it because of an accident. Given that it was my mother’s birthday, I let her have my sandwich. I went back to the house to watch the Saints’ game. Pfft. I really don’t like hte style of football the Ravens play, but the Saints basically didn’t show up until the fourth quarter. Since I didn’t have anything to eat, I ended up ordering a pizza from one of the chain pizza places. It was not great, but filled me up okay, I suppose. I still didn’t get through the leftovers the next few days, unfortunately. My mother wanted some paintings she had from the house for her room at the retirement community. I had absolutely no idea where some of these things were. So look around a bit, then finally go to sleep. My aunt brought me boxes and shipping labels so I could send some items to my brother in VA.
Tuesday — Had three meetings. First, the person who’s been doing the lawn came over, and we discussed next steps. We decided that he should do the final cut of the season on Friday morning. Since the lawn season is over, he was trying to dig up business for the winter, and said that he could help move things out. He helped move the mattress, and box spring into the master bedroom. I paid him extra for that, as well as for all that he’s done. He wants a loveseat that’s there, which we’ll probably sell to him regardless of whether we rent the house out. While it’s functional, it is old, and kind of beat-up. Second, the property manager I’d found, really the only one who answered my queries, discussed the ins-and-outs of renting out the house. I kind of put together a timeline, but the fees, etc., are acceptable if we want to go that route. Third, the security system guy showed up to hook up the video doorbell. What I’d done to connect the security system to the Internet system was correct, so there’s better alerting and management of the security system, now.
Wednesday — My godmother (my mom’s best friend and roommate from college), and my aunt collaborated a bit to search for things in the house My uncle brought my mother over to look for some of the things she wanted. Unfortunately, with her condition, that was quite unfocused. She bounces from thing-to-thing with little focus on why she’s doing what she’s doing. What I’d set aside for her she ended up not taking; I’m not sure if that’s because it wasn’t what she was looking for, or whether it’s just something she forgot. At the very end of the day, potential of a family member renting the house for his adult kids. That, actually, would be ideal, even if it doesn’t bring in as much revenue.
Thursday — My aunt picked me up, and we went to the airport. I told her that keeping the house “in the family” would probably be the best option, and communicated that we were willing to take less money. Perhaps a lot less. Got to the airport very early. Ate some odd fries at the airport bar. Actually used a paper straw for the first time. It was okay, I guess, for water, but I can see how it wouldn’t work well for anything more involved than water. Would have gotten a bottle of soda, but I couldn’t take it through security, so just free water. Flights back were rather uneventful. It was snowing on the descent into Charlotte. Winter is coming or something.
Very long entry, and I’m going to stop.