Florida so far
Jul. 22nd, 2012 04:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
saffronhareI'm very happy to have this time in Florida with the girls, getting Rowan settled and starting this phase of her life. We're having a companionable weekend so far. Lots of unscheduled time and pleasant dispositions, which is splendid.
It was pretty exhausting to arrive yesterday and discover so much that needed troubleshooting, but we're working through it. First off -- no dial tone on the phone and no Internet access. Not having the Web wouldn't have killed us, but it's very useful not to have to drive to Panera for WiFi if we want to look up details/directions for places we'd like to experience while on vacation, etc. The "no land line" thing was what had me worried, because their house is like a BUNKEr when it comes to cellular signal. I had to stand in the driveway to talk on my phone. Some rebooting of the modem and a phone call to their cable provider later, we've got a new modem and replacements for some connections that had shorted out during recent storms. A Sunday afternoon service call was a great surprise!
Next up is the car. The van they left behind stopped blowing cold air from the AC on the way home from the airport. Not the end of the world in itself, but it got more alarming when we figured out it wasn't a matter of pushing the right buttons -- the "battery saver mode" is on, and today we got a message that there's also a "charging system failure." Hrm. No other option for cars. It started fine yesterday evening when we went out for groceries and again this afternoon when I went out to get a few household maintenance things, so fingers crossed we'll managed without any trouble on Monday/Tuesday. Mom & Dad will be home sometime Wednesday. They claim it's a new battery, but having an opinion that something shouldn't been happening is NOT proof against it happening anyway, right?
The major thing I'm worried about is the upkeep of the house. It's very clear that Mom and Dad can't really manage a lot of things anymore. I've talked with her friend/neighbor and also sounded out Rowan about the issue, and we agree that it isn't so much a matter of them not being Housekeepers of the Year. So we're doing what we can in the days before they get home and giving some thought to broaching the subject of perhaps getting some help in the next few months, to free up their energy for other things. Or something. Rowan is prepared to help with tasks like getting up on the roof to clear the gutters and the screenroom, or powerwashing the deck, but she's very much not willing to be a substitute housekeeper or home health aide for mom. That could be interesting. I'm probably going to see if we can stay an extra day or two, so we can squeeze in extra help around the house *and* some chillin' out and hitting tourist stuff with parents before we head home. I'm also thinking it'd be wise to let Dad rest for a few days before we hit the road for KS. (Right now, the plan would be to depart on Saturday morning, just a couple of days after their "sometime Wednesday arrival.")
More later, as I'm able. Going to go "owl hunting" with Kira for a bit. She LOVES owls, and so does my mom. The delight on her face whenever she finds a little ceramic something or a picture is wonderful. :) It's like a days-long scavenger hunt!
It was pretty exhausting to arrive yesterday and discover so much that needed troubleshooting, but we're working through it. First off -- no dial tone on the phone and no Internet access. Not having the Web wouldn't have killed us, but it's very useful not to have to drive to Panera for WiFi if we want to look up details/directions for places we'd like to experience while on vacation, etc. The "no land line" thing was what had me worried, because their house is like a BUNKEr when it comes to cellular signal. I had to stand in the driveway to talk on my phone. Some rebooting of the modem and a phone call to their cable provider later, we've got a new modem and replacements for some connections that had shorted out during recent storms. A Sunday afternoon service call was a great surprise!
Next up is the car. The van they left behind stopped blowing cold air from the AC on the way home from the airport. Not the end of the world in itself, but it got more alarming when we figured out it wasn't a matter of pushing the right buttons -- the "battery saver mode" is on, and today we got a message that there's also a "charging system failure." Hrm. No other option for cars. It started fine yesterday evening when we went out for groceries and again this afternoon when I went out to get a few household maintenance things, so fingers crossed we'll managed without any trouble on Monday/Tuesday. Mom & Dad will be home sometime Wednesday. They claim it's a new battery, but having an opinion that something shouldn't been happening is NOT proof against it happening anyway, right?
The major thing I'm worried about is the upkeep of the house. It's very clear that Mom and Dad can't really manage a lot of things anymore. I've talked with her friend/neighbor and also sounded out Rowan about the issue, and we agree that it isn't so much a matter of them not being Housekeepers of the Year. So we're doing what we can in the days before they get home and giving some thought to broaching the subject of perhaps getting some help in the next few months, to free up their energy for other things. Or something. Rowan is prepared to help with tasks like getting up on the roof to clear the gutters and the screenroom, or powerwashing the deck, but she's very much not willing to be a substitute housekeeper or home health aide for mom. That could be interesting. I'm probably going to see if we can stay an extra day or two, so we can squeeze in extra help around the house *and* some chillin' out and hitting tourist stuff with parents before we head home. I'm also thinking it'd be wise to let Dad rest for a few days before we hit the road for KS. (Right now, the plan would be to depart on Saturday morning, just a couple of days after their "sometime Wednesday arrival.")
More later, as I'm able. Going to go "owl hunting" with Kira for a bit. She LOVES owls, and so does my mom. The delight on her face whenever she finds a little ceramic something or a picture is wonderful. :) It's like a days-long scavenger hunt!
