A desert chuckle revisited: the backstory: Last week I shared a photo of a ridiculous, human-looking saguaro cactus and mentioned being stuck in Tucson, but didn't go into much detail...

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

Last week I shared a photo of a ridiculous, human-looking saguaro cactus and mentioned being stuck in Tucson, but didn't go into much detail because a tale like that requires a sense of humor and I had mislaid mine. This week I want to share more photos of the lovely landscape near my mother's neighborhood, and tell an abbreviated version of the story.

As many of you know I spend a long weekend per month with Mom, who is by her own choice alone in her home. Her dwindling family does its best to see that she can remain at home--we'd be crazy to move her to a facility at this point--but the task really boils down to me and my niece. I live three hours away; my niece and her husband moved to Tucson three years ago to be close at hand. It hasn't been easy for them.

Mom also has a companion/caregiver from a home health agency that visits her twice a week, and though she fought it initially she now looks forward to the visits. Typically, Mom is much kinder to her companion than to her family members! My last trip to Tucson coincided with Mom's first appointment with her massage therapist in many months due to COVID-19, so I took her to it. Of course I couldn't enter the building, and it was 110 degrees. I whiled away the hour in a shady cemetery.

My mother had vaguely mentioned that her caregiver had only made one visit earlier in the week because she was "having some problems." When pressed she revealed that the girl hadn't been feeling well during her last visit and had been tested for the coronavirus! We all know that cases in AZ have gone off the charts since their re-opening. Imagine my displeasure when we learned the next day that the caregiver had in fact tested positive, and Mom had to home quarantine for two weeks from their last time together--which meant I did too. In my mother's home. My niece couldn't even come over, though she did drop off groceries, a good thing because my mother evidently forgets that I need to eat and keeps no extra food in the house because she's never hungry.

Those eight days were challenging beyond description, Old Testament-style. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did: the DISH receiver croaked, cutting us off from the one activity we really enjoy together; the kitchen faucet broke and caused a small flood; the urgent care clinic which offered the rapid test for the coronavirus neglected to mention until after Mom's test that they were out of the rapid test and she might have to wait 10 days for results due to high volume; a box of framed photos that had been taken down from her walls for a move that didn't happen three years ago was found to be soaked from unopened water bottles that had unwisely been set on top of it and thus everything inside was ruined. My business partner was upset over having to work alone for a week just as we were getting caught up. And my mother, though supposedly happy to have me there for a protracted stay, was difficult to be around, complaining about everything and doing way less for herself than when she's on her own and therefore barely moving.

I found a place that did have the rapid test kits so, much to her annoyance, I dragged her out again. I think she was more worried about a negative test than a positive one because that would mean her quarantine was lifted and I wouldn't need to stay so long, which is exactly what happened. Still, I stayed another four days, and things continued to fall apart and not go as planned, but I DID finally get some hiking in.

The final blow--and I am leaving a lot out--came last Saturday when I tried to make my escape, staying a couple hours longer than I wanted so it wouldn't seem like I was fleeing (which I was) and was held up for four hours getting new tires after I discovered a nail, and a slow leak, in one of the old ones. This time also had to be spent outside, me perched on various boulders in the light shade of palo verde trees. When I was finally asked to back my car out of the bay, it wouldn't start. Well it would start but then die, over and over. The mechanics had to push me out into a parking space where I sat for another half hour before the car started as if nothing had happened, and started right up. Not knowing what had caused the lapse I drove home like a bat out of hell, not listening to the radio, not using the A/C, hot wind whipping around me. The three-hour trip took seven, but I made it home.

And here are some of the photos I got.

(Download)

CindyHouk Loc: Nw MT

Wow...that was a rough trip! Glad you were able to get out for a hike and get some great shot...that had to help with all the stress!

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

Sorry you had such a miserable time but those are really nice photos!!

Dodie

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Good results from a bad time!

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

CindyHouk wrote:

Wow...that was a rough trip! Glad you were able to get out for a hike and get some great shot...that had to help with all the stress!

Oh, thank you. I'm sure I sound like a real pill about my mom but she really is a piece of work. I actually had to wait for a number of days before I COULD go hiking--the quarantine thing you know, and in Tucson one is likely to encounter people on the trails. Then when I was cleared (I too was tested, for the second time), I was frankly too depressed and dispirited to be up and out at 5 AM. On my last hike I was out for three hours and returned exhausted, but temporarily stress-free.

I'm glad Harley is working out so well and I note that you did not take my advice about renaming him...sigh. You live in beautiful country.

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

luvmypets wrote:

Sorry you had such a miserable time but those are really nice photos!!

Dodie

Thanks Dodie. I'm glad I had something to show for it! While waiting at the tire store on a rock under a tree, wearing a mask, I took a selfie for something to do. When I looked at it later I deleted it immediately--I looked older than my mother.

Bob1190 Loc: Hatboro, PA

Very nice photos.
My car had same problem. Crankshaft position sensor

CindyHouk Loc: Nw MT

SWFeral wrote:

Oh, thank you. I'm sure I sound like a real pill ... (show quote)

You don't sound like a pill.....I know how frustrating some family members can be! And I couldn't talk the hubby out of not changing his name..it's his horse...but I tried reallyyyyy hard!

L-Fox

SWFeral wrote:

Last week I shared a photo of a ridiculous, human-looking saguaro cactus and mentioned being stuck in Tucson, but didn't go into much detail because a tale like that requires a sense of humor and I had mislaid mine. This week I want to share more photos of the lovely landscape near my mother's neighborhood, and tell an abbreviated version of the story.

As many of you know I spend a long weekend per month with Mom, who is by her own choice alone in her home. Her dwindling family does its best to see that she can remain at home--we'd be crazy to move her to a facility at this point--but the task really boils down to me and my niece. I live three hours away; my niece and her husband moved to Tucson three years ago to be close at hand. It hasn't been easy for them.

Mom also has a companion/caregiver from a home health agency that visits her twice a week, and though she fought it initially she now looks forward to the visits. Typically, Mom is much kinder to her companion than to her family members! My last trip to Tucson coincided with Mom's first appointment with her massage therapist in many months due to COVID-19, so I took her to it. Of course I couldn't enter the building, and it was 110 degrees. I whiled away the hour in a shady cemetery.

My mother had vaguely mentioned that her caregiver had only made one visit earlier in the week because she was "having some problems." When pressed she revealed that the girl hadn't been feeling well during her last visit and had been tested for the coronavirus! We all know that cases in AZ have gone off the charts since their re-opening. Imagine my displeasure when we learned the next day that the caregiver had in fact tested positive, and Mom had to home quarantine for two weeks from their last time together--which meant I did too. In my mother's home. My niece couldn't even come over, though she did drop off groceries, a good thing because my mother evidently forgets that I need to eat and keeps no extra food in the house because she's never hungry.

Those eight days were challenging beyond description, Old Testament-style. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did: the DISH receiver croaked, cutting us off from the one activity we really enjoy together; the kitchen faucet broke and caused a small flood; the urgent care clinic which offered the rapid test for the coronavirus neglected to mention until after Mom's test that they were out of the rapid test and she might have to wait 10 days for results due to high volume; a box of framed photos that had been taken down from her walls for a move that didn't happen three years ago was found to be soaked from unopened water bottles that had unwisely been set on top of it and thus everything inside was ruined. My business partner was upset over having to work alone for a week just as we were getting caught up. And my mother, though supposedly happy to have me there for a protracted stay, was difficult to be around, complaining about everything and doing way less for herself than when she's on her own and therefore barely moving.

I found a place that did have the rapid test kits so, much to her annoyance, I dragged her out again. I think she was more worried about a negative test than a positive one because that would mean her quarantine was lifted and I wouldn't need to stay so long, which is exactly what happened. Still, I stayed another four days, and things continued to fall apart and not go as planned, but I DID finally get some hiking in.

The final blow--and I am leaving a lot out--came last Saturday when I tried to make my escape, staying a couple hours longer than I wanted so it wouldn't seem like I was fleeing (which I was) and was held up for four hours getting new tires after I discovered a nail, and a slow leak, in one of the old ones. This time also had to be spent outside, me perched on various boulders in the light shade of palo verde trees. When I was finally asked to back my car out of the bay, it wouldn't start. Well it would start but then die, over and over. The mechanics had to push me out into a parking space where I sat for another half hour before the car started as if nothing had happened, and started right up. Not knowing what had caused the lapse I drove home like a bat out of hell, not listening to the radio, not using the A/C, hot wind whipping around me. The three-hour trip took seven, but I made it home.

And here are some of the photos I got.

Last week I shared a photo of a ridiculous, human-... (show quote)

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

UTMike wrote:

Good results from a bad time!

Yes, a bad time. I guess I should be glad Mom insists on living there so that I have these opportunities.

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

Bob1190 wrote:

Very nice photos.
My car had same problem. Crankshaft position sensor

Thank you. I think I already had that sensor replaced, so I don't know what the new problem might be. I'll let you know.

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

CindyHouk wrote:

You don't sound like a pill.....I know how frustrating some family members can be! And I couldn't talk the hubby out of not changing his name..it's his horse...but I tried reallyyyyy hard!

Okay, if it's his horse, I'll stop hounding you. How can I hound him? I'm glad you liked my desert photos.

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

l-fox wrote:

Glad you liked them. Thanks.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Put on your patience hat and close your eyes and count to ten, slowly. Very nice photos.

SWFeral Loc: SWNM

NMGal wrote:

Put on your patience hat and close your eyes and count to ten, slowly. Very nice photos.

Ha. I'll have to order a patience hat. For now my car is broke so I'm not expected to go anywhere. Sigh of relief. Thanks for looking.