travelogue 8
Yesterday evening Mom wanted to take me out to dinner, to Pizza Johns of course, where I did not get pie, I got another fave that I wouldn't leave Baltimore without having. For my mom, venturing outside the mothership means that she needs to disconnect her oxygen supply from the artoo unit, and do it up portable tank style.
I gave her a hand getting her -roll around tank- ready, which was actually quite involved because at first we did not realize that an important part of the valve mechanism was missing, so everytime we would turn the oxygen on, it would just blow out all over the room. Luckily, she has more than one valve mechanism, so I switched it out and we were ready for her spacewalk. Every journey out of the house is like a spacewalk for her now, since she can't go anywhere without her oxygen tanks. She has little ones also, that can be carried via a shoulder bag, but for some reason she prefers the big rollaround version.
We quickly realized that taking her hooked up Mustang (because my mom is a hot rodder) was not going to be practical at all, so I convinced her to x-fer to my car, especially since we had passengers. The tank fit up in the front with her with no problems. I am glad that I had a chance to journey ouot with her using the oxygen, because now I have an idea of exactly how obile she can be. Once we were out and about it was really no problem. That makes me feel better because now I know that if she REALLY wants to go out somewhere, she can. But hearing her get as out of breath as a normal person would who had just run a race, simply by climbing the steps from her basement to her kitchen, is really sad.
After the dinner action, which included me showing Lisa and Kirsty the cache that was in the PJs parking lot, we headed back to thier hut to chill. Mainly they wanted me to meet Bill.
Bill is a -Red Masked Conure-, but what he really is, is a -smart-ass bird-. Seriously, he was comical as hell with his little bird-ittude. He talks, he does wierd things with his eyes, and the cousins showed off all the ways he responds oddly to various stimuli, such as when you talk to him using words that begin with "sh"...(picture my cousins sitting looking at the bird going "show...shut...ship...shit", over and over while the bird does crazy things with his neck and sort of freaks out), and also when anyone in the vicinity brushes thier hair. Bill was pretty cool, and we had a nice little bird to human telepathic conversation for a few minutes...then it was time to go.
Then I had to take mom to the grocery store. When she goes to the store, the oxygen tank gets put up inside the grocery basket, and she wheels around like that. I bought a bunch of Tastykake brand Lemon Pies
which you cannot get in Georgia to bring home with me, because they are freakin Tasty like turkish delight.
Today is my last day here.
I gave her a hand getting her -roll around tank- ready, which was actually quite involved because at first we did not realize that an important part of the valve mechanism was missing, so everytime we would turn the oxygen on, it would just blow out all over the room. Luckily, she has more than one valve mechanism, so I switched it out and we were ready for her spacewalk. Every journey out of the house is like a spacewalk for her now, since she can't go anywhere without her oxygen tanks. She has little ones also, that can be carried via a shoulder bag, but for some reason she prefers the big rollaround version.
We quickly realized that taking her hooked up Mustang (because my mom is a hot rodder) was not going to be practical at all, so I convinced her to x-fer to my car, especially since we had passengers. The tank fit up in the front with her with no problems. I am glad that I had a chance to journey ouot with her using the oxygen, because now I have an idea of exactly how obile she can be. Once we were out and about it was really no problem. That makes me feel better because now I know that if she REALLY wants to go out somewhere, she can. But hearing her get as out of breath as a normal person would who had just run a race, simply by climbing the steps from her basement to her kitchen, is really sad.
After the dinner action, which included me showing Lisa and Kirsty the cache that was in the PJs parking lot, we headed back to thier hut to chill. Mainly they wanted me to meet Bill.
Bill is a -Red Masked Conure-, but what he really is, is a -smart-ass bird-. Seriously, he was comical as hell with his little bird-ittude. He talks, he does wierd things with his eyes, and the cousins showed off all the ways he responds oddly to various stimuli, such as when you talk to him using words that begin with "sh"...(picture my cousins sitting looking at the bird going "show...shut...ship...shit", over and over while the bird does crazy things with his neck and sort of freaks out), and also when anyone in the vicinity brushes thier hair. Bill was pretty cool, and we had a nice little bird to human telepathic conversation for a few minutes...then it was time to go.
Then I had to take mom to the grocery store. When she goes to the store, the oxygen tank gets put up inside the grocery basket, and she wheels around like that. I bought a bunch of Tastykake brand Lemon Pies
which you cannot get in Georgia to bring home with me, because they are freakin Tasty like turkish delight.
Today is my last day here.