20/20

Mom is long gone and I am still recovering . . . .While she was here I caught the full-blown flu from my son Matthew. It started on Monday night as I was caught wondering why my knees were aching horribly. The next day I knew. Actually for the next week I knew. On third thought I still know because after fever, aches, and sore throat, I developed an eye infection that is still on the mend.

Now that my mother is gone - it's out of sight out of mind - the worry that is. You see she and my father are growing OLD and she at least doesn't seem ready to face the inevitable. Inevitable being assisted living, nursing home etc. As we toured one assisted living facility's nice two bedroom unit she asked "Where will I entertain." On the positive she still has a terrific spirit of life but on the flip side she should not even be driving and is not ready to acknowledge even that.

One night after a wonderful dinner of grilled chicken with all the fixin's she had her mind fixed on dessert. And not the strawberries and cream I had so laboriously prepared. "Do you have a biscuit, a chocolate biscuit?" No. She asked two to three more times hoping one would materialize. It didn't but it did bring to mind a story I remember when her mother visited our family when I was young. My mother prepared a wonderful meal of roast beef with all the fixin's and when her mother sat down she promptly said, "No gravy?" Well my mother was not happy as her loud rattling around in the kitchen indicated. But she did make gravy. I suppose I could have gone and bought some chocolate biscuits but I didn't.

So unfortunately I think her visit contributed to my illness (which Daniel also caught - negating weekend plans to go to Maine) and my subsequent eye problem.

Which leads me to my next point - I do not see as well with glasses as I do with contacts. I started wearing my glasses because with my contact lense, the infected eye became more irritated. Anyway, I almost feel like I've lost one of my senses completely with glasses on versus contacts as illustrated by the following examples:

• On my solo drive to Maine, instead of taking I-95 out of Boston I continued on I-93 a good 30 miles before I realized my error. Yikes. I am blaming my blurry eye and the anticipation of two days of freedom.

• On my solo drive to Maine, I didn't realize I had my EZ-Pass in the glove box as I cursed myself at each toll booth for forgetting it.

• On my drive home from Maine, I proceeded through one toll booth without paying and with my EZ Pass still in the glove box because the car infront of me appeared to go right thru. In hindsight I barely sighted a $1.00 sign as I cruised thru the booth. I am awaiting my summons from the Maine Turnpike Authority any day now.

• At my morning swim at URI, I somehow missed all the signs posted on the women's locker room re: using another locker room due to the lack of hot water. As a result, after swimming, I proceeded to the showers, scantily dressed, only to find real, live, men working on the plumbing. Whoops. I figured I was safe to change when the plumbers walked by saying something like "Oh I thought we were on the other side [of the locker room]."

• That same fateful day I dropped my sweatshirt on route to the parking lot without even a scant recollectiong of doing so.

With my compromised vision (yes my glasses are the up-to-date prescription) there's no telling what I might run into. And if you see me with my glasses on, please introduce yourself.