Jesus H. CHRIST my mother can make me crazy sometimes!
Ok, just to re-cap for those of you who are unfamiliar with her situation:
Mom is unemployed - no wait, she's not unemployed, she's.........(dramatic pause)...an ARTIST! (you have to say that all breathy). She actually does work seasonally, part time. But who would want a job anyway? Working for the MAN, having to, like, show up on time and all that....who needs it?
As far as I can recall, Mom never really had a JOB-job...I mean, she was a stay at home mother and YES I do realize that's a real job but people, it only counts if you actually take care of your kids. Well, she managed to keep 3 of us alive so I guess that's something....ANYWAY.............
So the other day I figure it's been a while and I should probably call my mother.
RING RING!!!!
Answering machine (see previous post about Mom vs. the government): After tone, record message *BEEEP**
Me: SIGH. Mom it's Ella
Mom (all out of breath): Ella?! Ella?! Don't hang up! It's me!
Me: SIIIIIIGH. Yes. I know. Still screening your calls huh?
Mom: Why of course!
Me: Ok then.
Mom: Well you can't be too careful you kow.
Me: ANYWAYYYYYYY........
Mom: So how are you?
Me: Good. You know. Busy. Crazy busy actually.
Mom: Ugh! I know! I, like...I'm just EXHAUSTED!!!
Hold on a sec...from what exactly?
Me: Oh really?
Mom: Yeah! I've got this really sore throat. I can barely speak (voice gets a bit weak here)
Me: MMM-hmmm. We had that last week. All of us. Even the kids.
Mom (completely ignoring this): Yeah it just...oh Ella...it just takes it out of me....you know? It's just AWFUL
Me: Yeah. I know. We all had it last week.
Mom: I mean, it just makes my life so difficult.
Me: Yes. I know. We ALL. HAD. IT.
Mom thinks she is the only person in the whole world who ever gets sick. I would hate to see her with an actual serious illness because she acts like she's on her deathbed every time she has a sniffle. She has COPD (did I blog about this already?...anyway) Just BARELY...like she's not healthy by any stretch but she isn't dying either. But now, ever since she was diagnosed, everything is a major ordeal. Day before diagnosis going for a 5 mile hike: that was fun! Let's do it again tomorrow! Day after diagnosis going upstairs: call an ambulance.
Mom: So what's new? What have you been doing? (throat so sore you can hardly speak, eh?)
Me: Well, you know, pretty busy these days. Work is really nuts right now, and I'm busy with my volunteer stuff, and now with Gavin in school we have homework to do and it seems like there's a birthday party every weekend...at LEAST one...and Gavin bowls every Saturday and Carter and Farrah have been over for a lot of sleepovers lately and..
Mom: Yeah I KNOW! I'm EXHAUSTED! I've been SOOOOOOO busy lately myself!
Me: Uh huh
Mom: Yeah! I've been cooking beets! You know, to freeze.
Me: uh huuuuuh.
Mom: And you know all the slicing, and cooking and freezing....ugh!
Me: Sounds awful
Mom: Oh yeah...but you know...you just gotta do it!
Me: Yeah
Mom: There just are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do, you know?
Me: You must want to do a lot of things
Mom (oblivious): I DO!
At this point it's lucky we're on the phone because I could serious bludgeon her with a bushel of beets. I don't think my mother has ever in her entire life experienced the kid of busy I'm talking about...you know the kind of busy where you can't wait til Monday to go to work to get BREAK? No...but really...must be AWFUL to be employed part time for the summer and have to fill the rest of that time with WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT. Sure sucks to be her!
