Mom & Me Two Archive

    First of all, I couldn't help but notice all the website visitors. My guess is they arrived through search engines looking for something about "powers of attorney" and/or "caregivers". If you haven't gone back to that post read the comment. Really helpful from an advice point of view about the background of government problems when negotiating business for someone else from an international perspective. It's a small world after all. I can remember some of the peculiar problems involved in negotiating with government agencies on Guam (I was raised there). You had to have an "in" to get anything accomplished but it was very easy to establish an "in" by brazenly presenting yourself face-to-face with the local official. They liked the laid back, "we're all siblings" approach there. A good example: One day, on a whim, a friend of mine and I were discussing a minor local political issue. Local politics were extremely active from a citizenry level at that time if you lived and were involved in the local community. During an intense discussion we decided that the only possibility of getting anything done was to see Guam's governor. At that time it was, I want to say "Bordallo" (of the infamous, both on Guam and in Japan") but that isn't who I'm seeing. I want to say "Guerrero", but that was who was elected when I was in the fifth grade. It might have been "Camacho", my best friend's orthodontist. Anyway, we did not call ahead for an appointment. My friend, who was somewhat older than me, over drinking age and a possessed a lively and memorable social presence, had met Camacho in a bar some time previous to his election, had enjoyed his company and flaunted herself for fun and betted that he'd remember her and see us. He did, and he did. Whatever it was we felt needed to be accomplished was that afternoon.
    I also remember my father, who was highly respected both at work and within the community, in part because of my mother, an educator on the island who was even more highly respected within both the work and the community, being told that he could have his daughters' first drivers' licenses fixed into existence if he wished. My father loved and respected driving and insisted we go through with the tests. I respect him for this even though at the time I was not looking forward to being road tested and I got "the worst tester", meaning the one man who had the island-wide reputation of being the definition of the word "stickler". I vaguely remember later finding out that my father did fix this aspect of the drivers' license testing procedures. He made sure that we got this guy. I respect him for this, too.
    "Scott" from Australia also mentioned, warming my heart, "I wish you and your Mom (here in Australia we say Mum) all the best for the future. It looks like there is a great deal of love between the two of you."
    Yeah, there is, I am tickled to say. Which reminds me: I silently and surprisingly observed during our wonderful visit with MCF and her family yesterday that Mom and I have an extemporaneous comedy act that sometimes triggers when we interact with others. I'm the slightly deluded but obviously caring and loving straight man and she works off me. It's her way of defining her relationship with me for others. It's also her way of maintaining her dignity when difficult subjects come up. Everyone, including me, enjoys it. Yesterday, for instance provoked the following exchange, which I will set up:

    It had been several hours since Mom had even ventured accidentally toward a bathroom. Although I'd padded her with two pairs of paper underwear I was beginning to worry about MCF's chair cushions. Everyone was at the table participating in a lively pie-after-dinenr discussion. I decided I needed to consider how to delicately broach the subject of Mom and I going to the bathroom in this atmosphere. For at least two reasons the subject was becoming urgent. I decided on a quick, blunt approach.
    During a rare lull I turned to Mom. "Well, Mrs. Hudson, let's go to the bathroom."
    Her expression reared at me. She looked around the table, waved her finger comically to include everyone then swept her hand in my direction. "Does she do this with you?!?"
    Everyone agreed that if I hadn't they'd certainly observed signs that I wanted to.

    Hmmm...I'll finish this post later. I need to make an important phone call regarding the impending sale of our Mesa home.
    Later, hopefully soon. I have other news...later.