Yep, traveling again, crazy girl I am. This time it’s to our nation’s capital to see my pal SG. Luckily the weather is pretty bearable so far. In fact today it’s rather cool.
I’m looking forward to the three-hour train ride. Unlike flying, I can ride the train forever. All that leg room, plus being able to walk around, plus not having to go through all that security, plus none of that awful high-altitude dry air.
I Googled my parents’ friend’s daughter. She’s quite an accomplished food/travel writer. She even has a book. And yet her parents are unhappy. Go figure.
Next weekend I was supposed to go to my parents’ but my mom has extended her stay in Cali. My grandmother had a fall a week or so ago, and she hurt something, though what we don’t know yet. What we do know is that she’s in a lot of pain. My mother said she couldn’t lie down all night and just sat in a chair, and that she has trouble moving at all.
At the hospital, they tested for blood clots. None to be had. Maybe she slipped a disc or hurt her pelvis.
I feel bad she’s in so much pain, which she has been for many years due to a calcification of her knee, but I feel worse imagining everyone’s grief – my mom’s especially – if my grandmother, well you know (since I’m a wee bit superstitious, I’ll refrain from spelling it out), though she is over 90.
My grandmother has changed so much over the years; we’re guessing she’s had a series of mini-strokes. She used to be loud, stubborn, and vivacious. When she laughed, she laughed hard. She never held back criticism, which could be sort of annoying.
Now she talks and moves in slow motion, as though underwater. I’m almost surprised that she still recognizes everybody, but she does. She’s still cognizant – it’s her body that’s failing her.
What makes me want to cry is remembering in Vegas, while we were taking group photos, I knelt down by her wheelchair and she looked at me with such delight, this huge slow smile on her face, as though she were saying, “There’s my first granddaughter!”
I hope she’ll be okay.
You crazy traveling girl. It’s awesome, though, because your recaps are fun to read.
I think it’s been mentioned around here that your parents’ friends’ daughter is *freelance* and that must set a chill in your typical Chinese parent’s heart. Where is the stability? Then some of the parents resent that other professions are just not as glorious as *doctor* and *lawyer*.
I hope your grandmother will be okay, too. She sounds so fabulous and as such your whole family would come together to see her recently.
I think the same kind of stuff about my grandma too. We’re not close, and I know I should spend more time with her… but I think of her often!
Good thoughts to your grandma and for your trip.