Day 668

We got up at 7:30, but somehow got off to a late start.  We did the wash and were done with it by 10.  I called Mother and she seemed bright eyed and bushy tailed.

We made good time to Portland, following a guy doing 80 at times.  Everything was fine at Hooch's place.  I did have to reset a camera and tell him that there's a mole attacking his back yard.

When we got to Mom's place I reattached the bumper to the edge of the bed.  I also put two screws in the cat box rail.  We'll see if that keeps it from falling off.  Someone has been cleaning it.

We went to lunch at the bar place across the street.  They charged me $8 for a Guinness.  I won't be ordering one there again.  Then we took Mom over to the cupcake place.  She has a new parking sticker which makes things nice.

Then we took her home.  It was early, but we needed to get some stuff for the club.  I walked her inside because she seemed to want to stay outside.  I really didn't want her to go outside (more on that later).

We stopped at Home Depot on the way back and got 6 bags of water softener salt for Dave.  We also bought some carpet cleaner for us.  Taiko has been barfing a lot lately.  Then it was the post office and home.

I left the salt on Dave's porch and retreated inside because it was hot.  We did some surfing and TV watching.  I dozed off.  About 4:30 Hooch called to say Mom had been taken to Kaiser ER.  It took half an hour and three phone calls to confirm that.

Of course going north on I5 was impossible at that time.  So I went through Newberg and over Chehalem mountain.  It would have been nice except for a Prius over the mountain and a Californian shithead on the other side.

Once I got to the hospital it was the same old same old.  Wait for tests and info.  I think we spent more time talking to social workers than we did medical staff.  We never saw a doctor.  They cut her loose about 9.

Her walker wasn't with her and when we got to Laurel Parc the entrance was blocked with emergency vehicles.  I had to walk Mom across the street.  She wouldn't hold on and almost fell.  Then I made her hold on.  When we got to the door I couldn't figure out how to get us in.  Luckily there was a resident who knew Mom hanging around the lobby.  She let us in and lent Mom her walker.  Mom was really upset about the walker.

The night person finally gave me a key to Mom's apartment.  I went upstairs and the walker was there.  I took her upstairs, made sure she seemed OK, and left.

The fun didn't stop there.  The freeway embankment at 217 and Walker was on fire.  It was in the northbound lanes, but of course the idiots in the southbound lanes had to slow down to look.  They were fucking up I5 south of Donald for repaving.  So the GPS sent me on 99 through Aurora and Hubbard.  It's about a mile shorter then I5, but the stop lights make it slower.  It was still faster than sitting on I5.

I got home a little before 11 - a 50 minute trip from getting on 26.  There was an email from Laurel Parc.  Apparently Mom was stupid and went for a walk in the heat.  She was never more than a little hot and tired.  However she went non-linear and wanted an ambulance.  She insisted on a ride to the ER and complained of shortness of breath and chest pains.  Sounds familiar.

Overall, tonight sucked.