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Running this morning has been pushed back until 10am. Elena got a forty-five day trail membership to L.A. Fitness for us. I'm still very concerned about her back-- I don't think a spine should be that audible. I would like her to try a simple yoga class for some structured stretching. I can see she is a bit reluctant to fondle her chakras, or any of the other new-age mumbo-jumbo that yoga teachers can burble at their students, and I can't really blame her. She is willing to try a free class during our forty-five days at L.A. Fitness, but I want to take it with her. Some of the yoga classes offered at a membership gym can vary from bad to dangerous. The class is at 11am, if it is sucks we can sneak out. It's a real shame not to be at the park this morning (it's even more of shame not to be surfing! Not doing that on a day like today is almost criminal). Today is also the volunteer L.A. River Ride. That's what I really want to be doing! But most people seem to shudder at the thought of more than one of me, so as is often the case I have to pick among several lovely options since I can't be in two places at once.
Yesterday I drove my mom down to Newport. If I hadn't been in such a cranky mood I would have been so very proud of her! Back in the Dark Ages (between 1985-1994. Not my favorite years, no sir!) my parents bought a time share. My mom really wanted it. At the time I was horrified by the idea of having to spend a weekend ANY where with my father (the yelling and the screaming and the running,there were days we were lucky if we could make it through breakfast. I'm still not sure we can be trusted to handle a weekend). I don't think my father was too keen on the idea of purchasing a time share, but mom really, really wanted it, and my mom very rarely wants anything. I think that's what convinced my father to go along with the idea. It was such a tough time for them; I think my mom wanted something shiny to think about.
Anyway, they bought this time share. We have even used it every now and again. About the time my mom's law suit happened, they stopped doing just about anything. By then the stress generated by her job had probably maxed out her system. She would talk about the time share, but not do anything about it. She wanted me to help her with it. I love my mom and I will do just about anything for her (and I think I have proven that enough times). The one thing I won't do: work with her on something! It would be a disaster. I cringed every time she suggested it. In all honesty, I was being a bit of a brat about the whole thing. At the time, I felt like I was doing plenty of things for my family and I really didn't want to do one more, especially one that might lead to me being tortured for a weekend. But, again, we are back to the concept that it was something Mom really, really wanted. She so rarely wants anything that I felt very petty for being so obstinate, and that of course made me peevish about the whole thing.
Mom has been doing extremely well since she retired in June. She has made her health her first priority and has been religious using her apnea equipment and doing her exercises to rehabilitate her back. She has been going to the Unitarian church some Sundays, and bicycling with me when she can. She has also has had more energy to be interested in doing fun activities that do not rely on instant gratification. On Friday she asked if I was busy Saturday evening? Much to my happiness I have absolutely nothing planned this weekend, so sure, what did she need? She wanted to know if I wanted to drive down to Newport Beach, her timeshare association was having a new members' meeting. She thought it would be a good place to start moving on the time shares, specifically trading her points for a cruise to Hawaii. Aloha!
It's not comfortable to have the brain squirm AND get excited all at the same time. The second she said "time share" my brain instantly started to try and wiggle out of the conversation. But then she finished the sentence with "cruise to Hawaii!" I think the intense confusion all of this generated was too much for my poor system, and it just sort of collapsed. I should have been delighted and happy. Instead I felt tired and cranky. I was able to quell the cranky, but not the tired. I told her I would be happy to drive her down (I always like driving), but I didn't want to sit through the meeting.
That was good enough for her. She had been willing to go by herself, but had been just a little worried that driving both ways might have been too much. Now that she is retired, she seems more willing to admit when she isn't quite up to things. I becoming more and more cognizant of how ill she must have been, and I'm blown away by how much resilience and perseverance she must have, and how very, very little she ever complained when the pain and suffering must have been considerable.
She was pretty happy that I had tagged along to do the driving. The time share folk were very pleasant, even provided snacks and updated all of her information. I was off at a coffee place studying. My class is easy, so I had a lot of other thought swirling around while I was reading the assigned chapters. When she called to be picked up I had worked out most of my cranky issues. When she was done she was almost bouncy (at 6ft, over two-hundred pounds, with a bad back my mom doesn't really bounce, so when she attempts to it is kind of alarming and delightful all at the same time). We went and got a light dinner at Ikea, and she enthused about all the information she received. I just nodded and smiled at the right places while scarfing down Swedish meatballs. It's been a very long time since I've seen my mom happy and energetic. I would like this trend to continue.