Our flight landed exactly on time In San Jose on July 20th. I really really had to pee. But all these Yahoos also had the same idea. It was an excellent flight with an awesome landing.. And the girl next to us for the flight named Michelle was studying Plant Genetics so her and Maia had a good conversation.. She was from San Jose.. Just a lot younger than me so I had nothing to talk to her about.
We decided to wait till baggage claim to pee as the lines were so long.. I saw Michelle also decided to do so as we ran into her going to the baggage claim potty. My mom seemed set off by the stopping at the potty right after I hugged her.. She’ll get over it. It was kinda like hi mom but gotta pee!
We got in the car and My mom started off with strange stuff.. I knew that her slide into forgetting stuff was getting bad but I am not sure how to describe any of it.
Not really sure I want too.. But if it holds the hand of anyone else going through it then so be it..
Some of this stuff is rather personal.. But you will get the gist even I leave some stuff out.
Or you will cry like I did..
We all have moms..
We all hate to see them hurting.
My mom insisted on directing traffic so we could back the car out.. My Dad told her she was being silly.. But she was so in fear of the van getting hit. I was more worried about her getting hit.
But we let her do it.
I knew right then and there that my trip was gonna be a hard one.
I may not have always gotten along with my mom as I am strong willed and fiercely myself and independent. I reminded myself of a nightmare my mom had when I was a teenager that she insisted on waking me up to tell me about.
I was five and refused to wear a jacket outside and it was windy. And my mom called the doctor and the doctor said wind wasn’t going to kill me so my mom had to tell the doctor off.
Yes my mom dreamt that.. It upset her greatly. She replayed the dream to me many times for months because it bothered her so bad. I look at shit like that and realize maybe she has always been a candidate to lose her memory when she is older and really have it be a bad argumentative thing.
So in the Van she starts telling us we need to eat. She did not eat yet as she thought we were having a big dinner.. It’s 11:30 in the morning. Dinner is supposed to be tonight. Fine then she won’t eat. In all this time she argued with herself not us.. She wants to take Maia out for her birthday.
I tell her I am fine with anything.
Bad move
She reminds me I hate “In and out” burgers and how they wait all year for me to visit so they can eat them.. I finally give in and stupidly ask if we can hit the one in Milpitas as it’s closer to the house. It was that or we were gonna have to go to Applebees and I am exhausted and need a nap.. and she is determined to eat at a place with an apple. I have no idea what she is on about with the apple. As we pull off the freeway she freaks out.. “ROY I don’t eat in Milpitas.. Go to Auto Mall Parkway..”
At this point I give up.. The whole reason I didn’t want to go to “In and Out” is that it’s 20 mins past my parent’s house when we go to that one. I had no sleep and she is hungry.
20 mins later.. Yes the Milpitas one we would have been home by now..
“In and Out” is crowded .
No seats.. It’s noon..She says well Milpitas might have been able to feed us.. I just don’t know what to do with her at this point.. She is about to blow a gasket. I suggest we get it to go. Which we do.. But thank fricken god a table opened up outside and she was able to get her food.
I hardly ate… I was this close to crying..
We got back to the house.. I called home and I took a nap..
Of course somewhere in there I was woken up to adjust the fan and call my brother because we finally decided.. Yes WE decided Claimjumpers has a APPLE on the plate.. Huh what.. Don’t ask.. She gave him directions to the Hub shopping center on the other side of town.. I told him exactly where it was at.. No one listens but that is ok..Sometime that night we all ate at Claimjumpers!
It was awesome. Last meal for Maia as a 17 yr old..
I loved the time with my mom none the less. Even though I was snapped at yelled at..Then told I was loved.. I knew she loved me enough to yell at me.
I spent some long needed time with my brother. And then he had to go home.
All the confusion of the day was over. Tomorrow would be another row of confusion as I was told today that next time I need to write all my plans down..FOR HER..
I actually already did.. But to make everyone happy.. I did again..
At midnight Maia turned 18.. At ten actually she was 18 in Indiana so we called home.. The boys loved saying happy birthday to her.
I knew the rest of the trip would be fine.. I just needed to turn off a part of me to endure some of it.
She doesn’t know why she yells.. She doesn’t know why she is combative.
All I know is I need to visit a lot more.. And I need to buy some armor..

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Also… a reminder..I will only be adding bit pictures here.. like ones with my cellphone.
there is a link on the menu bar to the crap i shoot page!