all quiet on the western front
Finally, after 3 weeks, my Mom called me at work this afternoon. I did not answer the phone, then fretted for about an hour over whether to call her back now or wait. In the end I called her to make the anxiety over calling her back go away.
Mom: So... how have you been doing?
Me: I've been doing okay.
Mom: What have you been up to?
Me: Working, mostly.
Mom: How are the cats?
Me: They're doing okay. Jonesy went through a phase where he was urinating on my stuff, but I think he just needed more attention and he seems to have stopped that now.
Mom: Well, for my birthday, we went to an indian casino. I won $35 on the nickel slots.
Me: Congratulations.
Mom: Yeah, it was nice. Have you ever been to an indian casino?
Me: No, just the regular kind in Vegas.
Mom: I think there are a couple down near you aren't there?
Me: Yeah, 3 I think.
Mom:
Me: Sorry, work is distracting me. So, what have you been up to?
Mom: Well, my sciatica has been acting up and my doctor had to put me on steroids for a while. Have you ever had sciatica?
Me: I don't think so.
Mom: Well, you would remember if you had. It's excruciatingly painful.
Me: I can imagine.
Mom: Well, I just called to see if you had been doing anything lately.
Me: Okay.
Mom: I'll talk to you later. Call me sometime.
Me: Okay.
Mom: I love you.
Me: I love you too.
So, I feel like this call was at least partly a fishing expedition on her part. She was giving me a chance to apologize for not calling on her birthday. I think there is a decent chance that within the next 24 hours she will call me back and apply the thumbscrews since I did not do that.
I ended up walking a line between not wanting to be obviously callous or vindictive, and not wanting to let her control me. It wasn't very satisfying but I think it had the desired effect of maintaining my reserve and keeping the ball in her court.
Mom: So... how have you been doing?
Me: I've been doing okay.
Mom: What have you been up to?
Me: Working, mostly.
Mom: How are the cats?
Me: They're doing okay. Jonesy went through a phase where he was urinating on my stuff, but I think he just needed more attention and he seems to have stopped that now.
Mom: Well, for my birthday, we went to an indian casino. I won $35 on the nickel slots.
Me: Congratulations.
Mom: Yeah, it was nice. Have you ever been to an indian casino?
Me: No, just the regular kind in Vegas.
Mom: I think there are a couple down near you aren't there?
Me: Yeah, 3 I think.
Mom:
Me: Sorry, work is distracting me. So, what have you been up to?
Mom: Well, my sciatica has been acting up and my doctor had to put me on steroids for a while. Have you ever had sciatica?
Me: I don't think so.
Mom: Well, you would remember if you had. It's excruciatingly painful.
Me: I can imagine.
Mom: Well, I just called to see if you had been doing anything lately.
Me: Okay.
Mom: I'll talk to you later. Call me sometime.
Me: Okay.
Mom: I love you.
Me: I love you too.
So, I feel like this call was at least partly a fishing expedition on her part. She was giving me a chance to apologize for not calling on her birthday. I think there is a decent chance that within the next 24 hours she will call me back and apply the thumbscrews since I did not do that.
I ended up walking a line between not wanting to be obviously callous or vindictive, and not wanting to let her control me. It wasn't very satisfying but I think it had the desired effect of maintaining my reserve and keeping the ball in her court.