Next Steps

The death certificates are supposedly on their way.  When they arrive, Finn and I will leave for Nashville.  I'm taking him for the company, and for the fact that he is the most high-maintenance of the pets, and Briton has a busy enough week ahead of him without having to "put up" with all of Finn's shenanigans.

 

We have Riley, Mama's cat, here with us now.  She, in her own house, was the most skittish cat I've ever been around, so you can imagine how timid she's being here with all the noise and paws and barking and general carrying on.  She has come to live under Hannah's bed --- Hannah made really good progress with her before she (Hannah) went back to school.  Again, since Finn is the most energetic soul in the house, his absence might prompt her to come out and explore a little.  Poor thing --- she's been through a lot.  I know she was right there with Mama when and after she died.

I don't know how long all the "getting things in order" will take me.  Briton moves into his own apartment the 12th, and I know he wants me here to help him.  But I can only go as quickly as the Williamson County, Tennessee bureaucracy will allow.  One of the very first things I'm going to do is make an appointment to have wi-fi installed in the house.  Whenever any of us is up there, I want us to be able to compute.  We used to just go to Borders, but. . .

I've got two bags of knitting packed, along with one I left up there.  I seem to be expecting an awful lot of downtime.  We shall see.

So, Yeah. I Went to Nashville.

And here are notes and pictures that were taken while there.

•  My inability to fall asleep at night has gone beyond nuisance.  It has moved into "crisis."
• Drivers in Middle Tennessee seem to forget that there are other people on the same roads as they are.
• I've finished 2 Christmas presents, and learned that my mother does not like the phrase "freakin' ________."  Got a classic Mom Look when I uttered it.
• My hot flashes are still on Eastern Time.  And on schedule.
• There really isn't anything quite like a fresh, hot Krystal.

•  The people across the street from my mother have two dogs.  One is a big Rottweiler mix, the other a little Chihuahua-y thing.  Guess who's the chatterer of the two. . .

• I am knitting a striped scarf out of Noro.  My mother's den is so dark, I have no idea what colors I'm working through.
• Fox News is bad enough, but my mother also watches "Dancing With the Stars."  I've seldom missed our blank, turned off TV screen more.
• Both children call me on the same night.  One call lasted a shade over an hour.  The second, 2 1/2 +.

• Chick-fil-A for breakfast.
• For the first time, on this trip, I am seeing my mother as an old, old woman.  Sad.
• Suddenly very weepy.  I don't feel like I belong anywhere.  Don't want to stay here (too sad), don't want to go back to Athens (too many responsibilities and issues).  Nowhere, except a nice hotel, is where I want to be.
• Guilt.