I guess it’s a positive thing that I am getting good at manhandling a four-wheeled walker in and out of the back seat of a Honda Civic SI because apparently they are not gonna let me leave town. I mean, this is the main road outta town, don’tcha know. At least it was when I was a street urchin over on the South Side of Sault Ste. Siberia. The truth is that nowadays, the I75 SUV Speedway is the main road outta town. Actually, its northern terminus is here. If you are driving a load of, uh, paraphernalia up to your headshop and you forget that you have already crossed over the Big Mac bridge, you might even overshoot the northern terminus of the I75 SUV Speedway. You will very shortly cross another big bridge and, on the other side of that bridge, you will find yourself answering questions from a jovial (or not) Canadian customs agent.

I’ll leave the rest of that cute little story to your imagination (no, it wasn’t me or my headshop, fer kee-reist, I am way too boring for that, don’tcha know…). I *will* get outta town again (actually I *do*, most days, if only to get out to the Moominbeach) and I *am* getting good at manhandling a four-wheeled walker in and out of the back of the Ninja. And, although we still haven’t heard from FV, I can see a new routine of sorts forming. Now that The Commander is officially finished with prescribed rehab, she is on a “maintenance” routine to make sure she doesn’t backslide. Okay. That means that someone comes around once a day and takes her for a little walk. And that’s okay. But she needs (and *wants*, yes) more than that and I will betcha she gets a lot more PT / OT when yer fav-o-rite blahgger takes her out. She has to walk across the parking lot just to get in and out of the Ninja*. Today and yesterday, she spent hours up here at the Squatter’s Paradise, where she did laundry and worked on mail and her checkbook and I don’t even know what else because I was telecommuting to my work. Tomorrow? I am picking her up early and we are gonna hit the grokkery store and she has some stuff to do here and we are gonna make enchiladas for dinner and, if it is not 36 degrees and snowing we *might* even bake them at the moomincabin because I think that my stubborn old bag of a moom can get up the three steps to the deck out there, thanks to the PT Goddess Alice’s training and the GG’s railing. And her own damn determination!

I am scouting out other things we can do. We can drive down to the locks and walk through the park down there. As long as The Comm doesn’t stash her nail file underneath her walker seat, ’cause they might confiscate that in this age of terrorism, don’tcha know. And we were sizing up the walk from FV to Karl’s Cuisine. I definitely think she could walk that distance with a companion. And we are strategizing how she will be able to attend LSSU Elders events and meetings without her own personal automotive vee-hickle at her beck and command. Heck, it’s only a few blocks up the hill from FV. The Commander and Radical Betty were founding members of that organization and I bet there will be younger members who would be willing to pick her up. If she asks!!! Or… Hey, maybe the Elders could arrange to hold some events at FV! It *is* the “Elders”, roight? Hmmm…

This interim period is really, really hard but we are gonna make it! Yes. We will. One of these days, I think I will be able to return to the Landfill knowing that The Commander is safe and living with friends, thriving without her only not-caretakerly-type daughter.

P.S. If you are a Moominbeach reader, you are invited for enchiladas tomorrow. Not sure where or what time or how ragged around the edges I’ll be. But there will be plenty of food, so lemme know if you are interested!

*Disclaimer: Of course, I am *not* a physical or occupational therapist! But the therapists “we” worked with were absolutely fabulous! I listened to their suggestions about appropriate activities and asked lots of questions. So I am pretty convinced that I will not push The Comm beyond her capabilities. Yes, even with my impatient personality. I think that The Comm is chompin’ at the bit to regain as much independence in her life as possible and I want to help her do that safely.

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