Mirror, Mirror Down the Hall

And... Airbnb #4. I rose early this morning and packed up all the stuff I have accumulated over the last 9 days and hauled it from Apt 228 to Apt 310, down the long hall and up a floor. "At least you know how to work the elevator," my mom said.

The new unit is almost identical with the exception of the full length mirror in the living room that is replaced with a door to a second bedroom with ensuite bath. It's a nice floor plan, but since I'm by myself?

I really miss the mirror.

Code Orange

The news we received from the nurse practitioner in charge of my mother's case was not what we hoped, and there seemed no end in sight to the 2 tubes in my mom's nose. When she left the room, we looked at each other and sighed. "I have got to find a way to get that orange juice!" my mom said, breaking the mood with plucky pragmatism.

It was true, she hasn't been able to have anything other than 2 popsicles a day for the last 5 days, and the week before that she was too nauseous to eat. This afternoon when I went to get a quick sandwich for lunch, I spotted a pint of my mom's favorite OJ, and with her next procedure 24 hours away, I added it to my order and brought it upstairs.

And I'm glad I did-- my mom sipped a few satisfying ounces through a straw, with no ill effects. Maybe after 2 weeks in the hospital, it's time to bend a few rules.

Flannel and Fleece

"Thank you for my birthday present," my nephew said on the phone today.

"I didn't give you anything, yet," I laughed. "Sorry! I was thinking of a flannel shirt, though. Your mom told me you don't have one."

He was uncertain what I was talking about, and so my sister and I described what we were talking about.

"If it's soft and cozy," he said, "I'm in!"

I know what he means. Since I've been here in Minnesota with my mom in the hospital, I've bought pajama bottoms, woolen mukluks, a soft sweatshirt, a sweater, and today? Knit slippers with a fleece lining. They offer me a bit of comfort.

And when I hung up, I popped open my laptop and found the perfect, fleece-lined flannel hoodie for my nephew.

Prisoner of the Mind

I was a little flustered when I checked into my new airbnb this afternoon. To begin with, the instructions were extremely complicated, involving an electronic directory, a lockbox, and a key fob. When at last I had made it into the building, I headed through the lobby and rounded a corner to the elevator.

Boarding the single car by myself, I turned to face the door and pushed the button for the second floor. A moment later, I heard the ding, but the doors did not open. I punched the button again, and heard a faint sliding somewhere, but the stainless in front of me stayed shut tight. Am I really stuck in this elevator? I thought, and problem-solving, I tried the button for the third floor.

The elevator rose, but the same thing happened: ding, a quiet swish, and me looking at immovable doors. I pushed 2 again, and accepting that I was really trapped, I tapped the red SOS button. A recording asked me to state my concern. "I'm stuck in an elevator!" I answered with irritation, and after a pause, a phone, who knows where, began to ring.

Wondering how long I was going to be trapped, I sighed and turned to lean on the wall to my left. It was then I noticed the second set of doors behind me... wide open. "Hello?" a tinny voice hailed me from the speaker on the wall, but I was already halfway down the hall, and on my way out? I took the stairs.

Location, Location, Location

It was kind of a cold, gray, wet day here, and I spent most of the afternoon in a toasty room, kicking back in a recliner, watching Hallmark movies with my mom as tiny snowflakes drifted from the leaden sky.

If we had been anywhere other than the hospital? It would have been a perfectly delightful Saturday. As it was? It was still pretty decent.

Wait Until Tomorrow

I was upset that my mom was in the hospital, but as I flew west I was kind of looking forward to revisiting Rochester, MN after spending a month here this summer. And on my first day here, the city did not disappoint. In 70 degree temperatures and under classic blue October skies I revisited the lake and other parks we enjoyed in August, now turned from summer green to orange and yellow and red and golden brown. Day two was equally stunning.

But every time I praised the town and the weather to a native, I got the same answer: "Sure, it's nice today... but, wait until tomorrow (or the weekend, or next week)!" I remembered a similar attitude among the folks I met here this summer: whenever I gave Rochester a compliment, they frowned and raised their eyebrows.

Today? Was not a glorious day. We woke in gray light to the quiet tapping of sleet on the window. The temperature was in the 30s and a frigid wind blew everywhere, and gusted bitterly in the canyons between the tall buildings of the Mayo Clinic. Low clouds threatened in a leaden sky, and we did not see even a peek of sunlight all day. On the way to the airport to drop my sister, fat flakes of snow squalled dryly against the windshield.

Did I finally see what they meant? No! I just put on my turtleneck and sweater, zipped up my vest and went about my business. Oh, and I bought a pair of toasty slippers at the HyVee.

Maybe I'll hate it here tomorrow.

Picky Patron

Even though I mastered the art of iced coffee with limited equipment at our airbnb, we had to extend our stay in Rochester and since that place wasn't available we found ourselves another rental. This one is larger and a little more upscale, and it has ice, but even so it is far from perfect.

First of all there is the creepy basement situation. Remodeled to be some kind of master suite, it features a sitting room with sliding doors to a bedroom which connects to another room that has been outfitted as a walk-in closet. All of them are just a little off, but it is the bathroom that made me walk quickly for the stairs. It, too, is several rooms-- one for the commode, one for the sink, and one which is tiled in the strangest way, finished with and dripping pattern of of stones that look like dark lava or some kind of weird goo. Hanging crookedly from the ceiling is a large rectangular rain shower head. There is no curtain or doors-- it's like a very strange locker room group shower.

Then there are the house rules.. allow me to quote some of the more memorable passages:

We are always supporting HEALTH LIFE STYLE, providing the homy and comfortable and clean living environment to our guests is our forever goal. Therefore, we have few rules will love to share with you first before you decide to book. 

#8. NO SHOES: To ensure we keep the floorboards squeaky clean for our guests’ enjoyment, we have a no shoes policy inside our home.Also it feels better, for us at home, to know that we are not bringing the hospital, into our Zen oasis of calm. But we don't recommend you wear socks inside the house as well, because the wood floor could be very slippery with socks. (Tips: bring an indoor slipper with you could be an good idea if you used to wear shoes inside the house) 

#13. ACCIDENTS HAPPENED: We understand that accidents happen. But we do ask that you please let us know when they do. Chances are we can fix them as effortlessly as possible which also means better chances of having your full security deposit returned too. 

#16. SAVE OUR PLANET: We are a group of folk that really care about the mother nature, we appreciative with whatever the planet provide to us and we are sure you do love her as much as we do. We kindly ask that you switch off lights when its not in use or leaving the house, and use the towels as needed. Every day millions of gallons of water are used to wash towels that have only been used once. Every drop matters. :)

But aside from that? It's fine.