TGIF
Nothing like waking up because a paw smacks you in the face. Kachina was staring down at me with one paw out making her cute "love me" meows. When did my cat become my early morning lover?
Yesterday afternoon started off insane and ended up on a very high note. My phone rang about 5 PM. I missed the call and decided to call the number back because it had a strange area code. It was an alarm security company. My heart stops as I am demanding to know if I have a break-in occurring. The guy can't locate me in the system and my patience in wearing thin. Not because of the break-in and potential whatever to the house, but because the alarm sound is going to be freaking my cat out. We go round and round and he can't locate me. I ask him if he works for my company. He says yes and then asks which one. I hung up and called my company. There's no alarm, but he then asks me if I gave them my "password." Well, of course. And maybe my address and my name. I get that lovely sinking sensation. He says the call never came from them. He calls that number to see who they are and now it has become a huge event. He'll call me back. Why? Because this has never happened before and my "security" may have been comprised. All I can think is..these damn potential criminals have way too much time on their hands to get this damn cleaver. He calls me back and they are going to get all sorts of people involved and he has set up a whole new maximum security system on my account. As my Mom lovingly put it later, "they'll never forget about you now." So after an hour he finally tells me everything is going to be OK. I go home and walk in the house and Kachina comes to greet me. Everything is OK.
I go into the study and my answering machine is blinking. Uh oh. That's not a good sign. I press the button and a message comes through saying there is a current alarm system going off at 125... for a Mr. Peter.. And my heart stops again. That's the deal! Shit. I drop everything and grab my phone. He's not answering and so I race through the house, grab everything I may potentially need, and race out to Peter's apartment. Because, again, his cat, Merlin, might be freaking out. Or the door is open and Merlin is wandering around in the neighborhood. I'm also terrified that if there is another break-in at Peter's house he may lose it this time. Everything was totally secure and OK. What the? I can't seem to figure it out. I check every window and door and everything is secure. Merlin talks to me and I play with him for a while. And on my way out the door, I discover one of his door sensors fell off the wall. OOhhh...
He never told me he had a security system that was actually hooked up to people. I thought it was a noise system. Well, now I know. And as we are talking (finally), like everything is just dandy, he asks me to feed his cat. I wonder sometimes if I'm the one on the wrong side of a funny mirror.
Throughout this afternoon of nerves on edge, my mother keeps calling me to ask me what all is happening and to let me know she wants a big birthday this year too. OK. So she's debating about us all going for a few days to the resort I just got back from. OK. And when I'm leaving Peter's house she calls me to tell me to get my passport. There must be something wrong with me because I immediately ask myself, "what missile just went off or what war has started or what has she heard from her colleagues about the state of the world now?" But it was unfounded as..oh..my mother's imagination went wild. She asks me if I got her messages at home. Nope. And then tells me she's called me several times over the last 20 minutes and has decided against going to Russia (??) for her birthday this year. "Your Dad wants to go home for my birthday this year. We're going to Budapest." So, I better get my passport. For August. They got some refund (tax?) and they want to blow it. Apparently in a big way. I don't know how to appropriately respond at this moment so I stay quiet. She wants me to be thrilled, but really..with everything I've just gone through? I tell her I'll call her tomorrow when I can think again. I'm going home to curl up in my closet.
But I peek my head out enough to check email. I'm so thankful I did. Thank you.
This trip may actually happen. I said years ago I should have gone with them way back when. But I was young and didn't want to go because then I'd miss out on friends and stuff. Well, I'd love to see where my Dad grew up. Maybe our friends from Moscow can come and visit (like they did with my parents last time). I'd love to hear Dad's stories when I can put images to them. Although, actually being at the places he has talked about during WWII may really be hard for me. The real reason Mom wants to do this trip is my Dad is truly afraid his timer is about to go off or he may lose a leg and he won't want to go anymore. My Dad's health has been poor for a long time. He's done remarkable things to still be here, but the diabetes is starting to really get one of his legs and his breathing is getting bad again. I fear his heart. I have since his triple bypass surgery a few years back. I know life is short and I hold onto the moments I have right now. So, if this is really going to happen of course I'll go. You never know how many more months we have. Who knew I'd still be here?