I'm baaaack! With kittens (Sort of)

[thistlechaser]

My visit with my mother went well, though I wish I could see her more than once a year. We did some shopping, played a ton of board and card games, and generally just hung out together.

Since money is tighter this year, I used Uber to get her to and from the airport. (If it had been me, I'd rather use the group van service cities have -- it's a lot cheaper, and since it's "official" it would make me feel more secure, but she hates the airport vans.) Turns out Uber is a great service, though not as cheap as I'd like (about half the price of a car service, and less than a taxi).

While it's great visiting her, it's surprisingly hard to go a whole week without reading. I was able to get some online time while she slept and while we watched a movie or TV, but other than that my online time was limited. (I did keep up with my LJ friends list though!)

I wish I could see her more often. She is unfortunately getting older (as mothers tend to do), and I know our time is growing shorter. We're on opposite sides of the country though, so it's a whole day's flight one way. I know it's both very selfish and stupid, but sometimes I hope I'll die first, so I won't have to get through the pain and loss of losing her. I have almost no family other than her, and we're very close (talk daily on the phone, text multiple times a day). My sister is my only other family, but unfortunately we're not close -- I'd like to do something about that, but it's hard, especially since we also live on opposite coasts and we're just about as different as two people can be.

I have to get my toe nail permanently removed Monday morning, then back to work Monday afternoon. Boo.

Since I used Uber, I'm now on their mailing list, so they send me things like this: Uber will deliver kittens to your office! $30 for a 15 minute visit from a group of kittens. Some of the fee goes to local shelters, though I don't know how much. What a fun idea!

Comments

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

It is an interesting idea of a drive by kittening...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? But it sure would make the work day brighter. (Assuming you like cats and aren't allergic!)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I am allergic, but can appreciate them at a distance.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

They should still be cute to watch, even if you couldn't pet one.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

I hate to be a killjoy, but I don't like the idea of the kitten thing. A slippery slope to a puppy farm, methinks.

I'm glad you had a good time with your mom. How come you ended-up living on opposite coasts?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

As far as I understand it, they use kittens already in a shelter (they're all up for adoption), so this just helps them get adopted faster.

Just chance. My family all lived in New York, and we three all went totally opposite directions. Mother went north, sister went south, and I went west.

[twissie.livejournal.com]

Awww wow, nice! I wish I could go hang out with my mum and play board games and card games! That sounds really nice.

OFFICE KITTENS?? WHAT, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. HAHAHHAHA :DDDD

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? I want office kittens every day! :D

Is your mom far off, too?

[twissie.livejournal.com]

Is your mom far off, too?

Haha! Oh, no... quite the opposite. She's 20 minutes away by train .... but we were never that close, and we seem to continue to grow further apart. Our interests don't really match, and we continue to struggle to find something to bond over. She doesn't speak English, which makes board game nights very difficult. Very few of the games I enjoy playing have been translated to Norwegian.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah that makes sense. That's just how it is with my sister (though she's an 8 hour flight away). I wish I had hints on how to help bridge gaps like that, but I'm pretty lost myself.

[twissie.livejournal.com]

Thankfully (?), family isn't much of a priority for me personally, so it doesn't bother me. But it DOES sound nice to be able to get together with someone who has known you your whole life and actually enjoy your time together :P

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a lot of contact! I phone with my mother maybe twice a year, and visit every couple of years, and she lives about an hour away.

Oh man, I'd totally buy that Uber offer for kitten visits. But I'd probably want to take them all home. :D

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we're close. :)

And agreed! I want a kitten visit every single day.

[postingwhore.livejournal.com]

haha, I just used Uber for the first time yesterday myself because it was raining hard and there was no way I could cycle 12 km home in that kind of rain...we have a 30 rmb voucher for our first Uber ride, so I only had to pay 7 rmb, which was nice! And Uber has tonnes of promotions here as well...though now I'll have to watch their feed, lol, sigh.

I wish I could be as close to my parents as you are to your mother. Hopefully I can achieve that with my children, although tbh I kinda don't think it's possible...achieving it with my future husband would already be a dream come true :S

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Seems like most people are either located physically close to their parents or are relationship-close to them, but never both. My mother joked that maybe that's why we're so close: because we see each other so rarely.

Wow, great deal on your Uber ride! I got no discount on mine, sadly. (But still it was worth it.)

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

I talk to my mom every day too. It is hard having family so far away. One sister and a cousin are still living within easy driving distance to mom, otherwise I would worry more.

Kitten delivery sounds like the best idea ever, especially if they are shelter kittens!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep, shelter kittens! Hopefully lots of them got adopted.

I'm glad your mom has family close. Mine doesn't, but she has a "long time boyfriend" living close by, so that's good. (None of us know what exactly to call him, her included.)