Oops...

[asy]

Well, I've had an interesting few days.

My Mum's up here (from Melbourne) visiting me for a week before she goes down to the Gold Coast for 4 weeks (As she's done for the last 10 years, but this will be her first time without Dad). She has a number of friends who also go to the Gold Coast and they all have a great time. They've all recently (last year) changed to renting apartments, rather than staying in caravans, as they're getting older (and I yelled at them to spend their money and stop worrying about leaving it for me).

Anyway...

Saturday afternoons Stephanie (my daughter) and I go to Latin Dancing lessons, it's GREAT fun. A friend of mine (Mark) goes and he invited us a while ago, so now we go every Saturday we can. Mum came with us, and really enjoyed it.

Saturday night, Stephanie comes and asks if we could go Ice Skating soon. Mum used to be a figure skater in her teens and she brought her skating boots for Stephanie, and Stephanie was keen to give them a run. So, we went. I asked mum whether she was going to watch. She said (emphatically) No, I'll skate too! Mum's never ever been a shirker, and never been one to miss out on the fun (Wonder where I get it from). When we got there I asked her again. Mum are ya SURE you want to skate. She looked at me and said "I'm Not THAT old!!!" So I bought her a ticket too. The guy in the ticket booth looked surprised, but didn't say anything.

On we went. Took me a while to find a pair of skates that fit, and still didn't find any that fit properly, )I really need some that are articulated at the ankle coz normal ones are all wrong and make my feet cramp) and by the time I got onto the ice Mum was already on her second lap, going strong!

Sasha took off like a rocket, and Stephanie took a lap to get her footing, then she was fine. I love skating (haven't been for about 20 years!) but it was great fun (in spite of my darned shoes).

We skated for about an hour, had lunch then skated for another while. Kids were exhausted so we all agreed another few minutes and we'd go home. I was having a ball, as the kids were using a scarf as a tow rope and towing me around the rink! They finally skated off, then I thought I'll finish this lap and get off the ice.

All of a sudden a young man came to me and said "Your mum's fallen over, she doesn't look too good". So I thanked him and flew off the ice to where she was sitting. She just looked up at me and said "I think I hurt myself". One look confirmed my fear, her arm was doing pretzel impersonations.

I quickly got the kids off the ice and threw all our stuff into bags, got the kids to return the hire skates, and left. On the way out the door, the guy in the booth asked how we went. I said "We've had a great time, it was really fun, till Mum broke her arm". He was horrified. He offerred to ring an ambulance, so we accepted his kind offer.

We sat outside waiting for the ambulance for a while, the guy came and took our details for their incident forms. I asked him whether this happens often. He said "Um, yeah, all the time, unfortunately, the Ambo's know us already".

Stephanie had her second ride in an ambulance and went with Mum. I took Sasha home and had to pick up Mum's bag. My friend Mark was at my place, warming the couch, when I got there, which was handy, as he took Sasha out for the afternoon and it meant only 1 child hanging around the hospital. It was really good timing, I thought Mark was out seeing his new gal yesterday, but instead he came to visit and ended up kid-wrangling. Very handy! A good friend.

Mum got X-Rayed. Then they had to pull the bone back into place, then put a cast on. She has to go back in a few days and get a permanent cast, after the swelling has gone down. It was only the one bone (a Colles Fracture).

She'll be fine. Thankfully it wasn't her back, or leg, or hip, or skull.

Her skating days are over. 

So, today I said we'd sit and have a movie day. I'll do some knitting, she can do some napping. I had to wrestle her away from folding laundry. I've had to yell at her to stop doing dishes one handed. I'm surprised she hasn't mopped the floor yet today.  :

So, that was my few days. Interesting. Not to be repeated.

asy :D

[Paschale]

Sounds like all's well, though I'm sorry for your mom.  However, I'm REALLY glad that she went out there and skated.   8)  That kind of attitude is something I want when I'm her age.  When I was in California, I stayed with a couple who were in their 80's.  They're going all the time, always out doing something or other.  They don't let themselves be slowed down, and I find that inspiring.  Ridng bikes, walking the dog, walking along the beach, going to the YMCA--they're always active, and I think that's the key to a long, happy life.  It was funny hearing them talk about the "old" friends they have, who are in their 90's.  ;D  I met several elderly people who all were very active out there, and one guy who's 83, still plays tennis on a regular basis, and apparently is always chasing after the ladies, sometimes ones about 20 years his junior.   :D  Your mom has the right attitude:  go get 'em!

Way to go mum!  And I hope for a quick and speedy recovery! 

[Patty]

Asy, you did your mom a huge favor taking her ice skating with her grandkids. She and your kids will never forget the fun they had. I took my mom to Germany a couple years ago to visit my son and d-i-l.  Mom's wish was to see a real castle, so we drove down to the Alps where the georgous  Neuschwanstein Castle is located. Of course this castle is on a mountainside, way up the mountain. They offered to give us a ride, or we could walk. Mom wanted to walk. She was 80 years old at the time. My son and his wife took the tran, and mom & I headed up on foot.  :        About halfway up, mom became short of breath and extremely weak. I knew I could never get an ambulance up there, so I asked her if she wanted to turn back. No way! she said, and so we took it slow, with lots of breaks, and made it to the castle just in time for the final tour of the day.  Mom still talks about that day, and how much fun she had hiking up the mouintain. Always in the past she had played it safe and always regretting, but she knew this time was her only chance to hike, and she had a partner willing to go along. I am so happy I went along with her wishes. Even if she had died hiking up that mountain, she would have died doing what she wanted just once. Life is short...go for the gusto!

[asy]

hehe, she got up and mopped the floor this morning.  Can't keep a good woman down.

Mum's not actually that old, she's 66, so certainly not ancient! hehe

Dad died in March this year (as most of you know) and she's found a new lease on life. She's revitalised. Almost Dangerous!

We're planning a big trip, Mum, Me and my Kids, in 3-4 years time (I'd go now, but I am broke) I'm hoping to be able to find some $$ by then. We want to come visit you lot. Mum wants to do the Cruise to Alaska, and hey, who am I to complain?! We'll do the whole trip, Alaska to CR. See Canada and USA, then go annoy Fred and Harold   ;D. It's in the planning stage now. Mum asked me what time of the year should we go. I said, well, I have an appointment in Michigan the first weekend in August.......  She said "When? Next year?", I said "EVERY Year!!!" hehe So I think that will dictate our timing, although I'll check when the Cruises to Alaska are, and when they are best, and that may override things.

Mum's always wanted to see USA, but never been, and I think it'll be fun. Also her cousin is in Alabama, and she hasn't seen her since 1987 when we went to Russia (They moved to USA about 15 years ago).

So, you see, she's living it up!

asy :D

[Tom]

Good for your Mom, Asy.

Don't even let yourself say that her skating days are over.  If she had such a good time, she'll be doing it again.   She will just have to quit the double back flips.  :D

[submarinesailor]

Asy,

I don't know what the school schedule is down under, but the wife and I have found that the first and second week in September can be the best time for such trips here in the US.  Most of the kids are back in school and the parents are back to work.  This really cuts down on the lines, particularly in places like Yellowstone Nation Park and the Grand Canyon.  We went on an Alaska Inland Passage cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary during the second week of September.  The cruise ship was not quite full; still had a lot of people, but not too bad.  It was the next to the last cruise for the season, so we had a lot of the sites to ourselves or a small crowd.  That made it so much better and enjoyable.

If you make it to the US, please make it a point to spend several days at or in the Grand Canyon.  You will not believe the size or its beauty.

Bruce

[asy]

Thanks Bruce, Not sure how we'll go time wise, I'd really like to make it to the Piggy Roast, even if I have to organise several years in advance...  And I'd like to finish the holiday in CR (That Finca Leola looks like a magnificent place to finish a holiday!).

So, we'll be going from North to South. That means that we'll be Starting in Alaska. So, that'd make it around early July.

I went to the map shop today, they have a closing down sale, 50% off everything. I wanted to get a USA holiday book, but they'd sold them all, but I went through their "Discount Box" and got two books about Florida, and one about Costa Rica. I also got a really cool "USA Phrasebook" which may help me with some forum posts, if nothing else. All these books were $2.50 each!!!

The phrasebook is really fun, here are a few examples:

Sugarloaf, in Florida, is a Pineapple!

Arkansawyer:  the correct appellation for someone from 'the natural state'. 'Arkansan' is only OK if you're a 'ferner'.

fern: from somewhere else. (Spelled 'foreign' in britain).

cawfee: dark, aromatic beverage, usually served hot.

doohickey: anything you don't know the name of, as in: "Hand me that doohickey".

dreckly: soon. as in: "We'll be to the store dreckly".

There's a section on how to order coffee in Seattle, and explanations of games like baseball and gridiron.

and my fave, in the 'psychobabble' section...

"I need my space:  Room to think, breathe or cheat on your spouse"

asy :D

[asy]

Well, mum's doin' just fine.

She's back to washing dishes one handed. Even had her mopping the floor yesterday, but how she managed with one arm and both me and my daughter trying to wrestle the mop off her, I don't know, but she did  :-\

She's getting her fibreglass cast on Tuesday morning, and going down to the Gold coast for her holiday Tuesday Afternoon.

Can't keep a good woman down.  8)

asy :D