So Helen calls me from the hospital earlier this week to tell me she would really like for me to try to get her a new cell phone – her old one is “cracked”…and I use the term loosely…anyway, the following day, I drove in to our local U S Cellular where I was told that since I wasn’t Helen, the only way for me to get her a cell phone was to bring her in person to get it (ya…that’s going to happen) or if I have power of attorney over her business. I felt the culmination of 52 years of B S coming to a head and wanted to scream that I have been trying to get her assign power of attorney to me for the last 5 years…last year when I took Helen’s paperwork in to have her taxes completed, I talked to her attorney and former boss about the problem…he drew up some P O A papers for me in case she realized how much easier it would make my life….but she refuses…that’s a whole other Suzy Orman show..anyway…I backed out of US Cellular without physically striking the little young, snippy clerk…called the US Cellular store in Des Moines where they informed me that all Helen has to do is call them and tell them I have the authority to make decisions about her account and then I can go to Des Moines and get her a cell phone…wonderful…I spoke to Helen on the phone and after about 3 repeats so she could understand what the hell I was telling her, she agreed to call US Cellular…..

Enter Frances…she called “him” tonight while I was at a meeting to tell him that Helen ordered a cell phone and they will be delivering it to her house so he needs to keep an eye out for the delivery truck.  She had no idea who would be delivering it nor what day it might be delivered…He was a little irritable…this is such a little thing…but in light of all of the other crap they put us thru and now the orders have been issued.  I suppose we should both just stay up all day until it is delivered and call in sick at work since we all know what is most important here…….

Probably the saddest part of this story is that my mother moved to a nursing home early Wed and if I hadn’t called Dana, her caretaker, last night, we wouldn’t have known where she was or how to get ahold of her until Frances called tonight.  Something looks very wrong with this picture!!!  I don’t feel like calling Helen – mom and I don’t feel like calling Frances – Aunt Frances…

Until next time…..