Calling home

Saturday - Okaasan got stuck downtown with no money.
But, luckily, had the smarts to ask a station staff member for help - and call her Dear Son.
Luckily too - that Dear Son and That Foreign Woman were still at home and able to drive downtown and get her. They were just 45 mins away from leaving the house and going out to eat meat and beer...

Good really.
Okaasan gets herself in these situations - heading out without enough money or without her prepaid subway card - but can rescue herself with the help of others.
She hasn't been downtown in ages. And this wasn't a very successful trip.
Don't know what happened with the subway card. She has it in a little leather pocket holder, but moves her things around between multiple bags...so it could be anywhere.
I really should go into her room and extract about 20 bags. Give them to the charity to auction online again. Reduce the number of places where Okaasan can hide stuff away.

*** About the November Memories Trip to Okaasan's Hometown - DS says he will talk to his uncle and see if they are home at that time. And if so, go ahead and book air tickets and hotels.
Students have said to me: Is Okaasan excited about the trip?
They are a bit shocked when I say we aren't consulting her about it all all. In fact we probably won't even tell her about it until about....2 days...3 days? before the flight.

Telling her earlier would over excite her. Get her into a panic of clothes checking/shopping/washing/packing/repacking/stressing.
And probably: I need new clothes for the trip! And I must buy souvenirs for everyone!

DS will already be in Tokyo then - he will go a week ahead to meet, greet, eat and drink with friends. So it would be ME on the receiving end of all Okaasan's pre-trip panic.
I don't need the stress.
If we go - I will wash and prepare her clothes. Get her to the hair salon. Get her to have a bath. Buy and send souvenirs to the family.

Tell her...oh..I don't know...2 days before the trip maybe?
That's more than enough time for her to get in a tizz about it.

We'll see. Not decided yet.

* Finally..my Dad.
Long term readers of this blog (congratulations!) will know that a few years ago I had a terrible, terrible year when my father and then my step-mum died, AND I  injured my knee and could hardly walk AND developed a multiplying ovary system and had an operation etc.
The start of it all was 6 years ago.
My step mum had a car accident and was in hospital.
And Dad...weighed down by a lot of stress...died one evening at home. Cooking sausages. 
It was 6 years ago that he died. 6 years. I miss my Dad still - things I would like to tell him/ask him. Things I know he would laugh at. He'd LOVE the whole Donald Trump madness in the US at the moment.....silly things....
I miss my Dad.