My mom went to see her doctor and was told she has a shoulder separation. It is also called acromioclavicular joint separation, or AC separation. This can happen after a a fall on to an outstretched hand (commonly seen after falling off a bicycle or horse). My mom started to learn about this condition after she was diagnosed.
The standard treatments include ice, rest the arm (use of sling), and anti-inflammatory/analgesic. My mom did 2 out of 3 treatments right. She applied ice and she took anti-inflammatory. The use of sling would have helped her in reducing the amount of pain and discomfort she experienced last week. Also, she should not have used the arm to carry groceries and heavy stuff. I am not helping her either. I have made her cry out with pain many times when I suddenly grab her sore hand, or pull on her sore arm. My mom is right-handed, so she generally sits on my right side to make it easier for her to help me. Now, she has to constantly remind herself not to sit on my right side, as this will put her left arm at risk for being grabbed or pulled. My mom has been on the alert, and yet it is impossible to completely avoid being grabbed by me. I can suddenly reach out and yank her arm without any warning sign.
What my mom needs is some good rest. She has been sleeping poorly since the injury. Now that the pain is not as acute, hopefully she can sleep better.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Travel Fever
We had gorgeous weather today. My mom felt it was such a shame that she could not take me out on a bike ride. Her left shoulder and hand are still too sore for her to feel comfortable taking me out on my bike. Furthermore, the steering wheel on her side is a bit off after the bike accident. She does not have the strength in her left arm to fix it. She is also not sure if she knows how to. My mom decided to take me out for a walk instead. The plan was dropped as it suddenly rained heavily and hailed.
My grandma is going on a 6-day bus tour to Regina and Winnipeg leaving in the morning. A friend of hers is also going and she lives near the location for boarding the bus. So, my grandma went over tonight to her friend’s home to sleep over. Initially, my mom did not intend to take me along for a car ride, as it would be close to my bedtime. Since she felt guilty about not taking me on a bike ride, and then failing to take me out on a walk, she changed her mind.
As my mom helped me with putting my shoes on, I saw the suitcase. I started to giggle loudly and uncontrollably. I giggled all the way out to the van, and I continued to giggle aloud on our way to drop Grandma off. My mom has heard me giggle in my sleep while on a cruise, but she has never seen me laugh like this and for such long duration.
My mom suspects that I am suffering from “travel fever”. Before I continue, I need to clarify what I mean to my non-Chinese friends. I am not talking about Post Travel Fever. When the Chinese talk about someone has a fever (發燒友) for something, it means the person is crazy about it. Having a “travel fever” means I love traveling to the extreme. I was so delirious with joy because I thought I was going away on a trip.
I saw the suitcase went with Grandma when we dropped her off. My mom also told me we were going home. No more giggles from me.
My grandma is going on a 6-day bus tour to Regina and Winnipeg leaving in the morning. A friend of hers is also going and she lives near the location for boarding the bus. So, my grandma went over tonight to her friend’s home to sleep over. Initially, my mom did not intend to take me along for a car ride, as it would be close to my bedtime. Since she felt guilty about not taking me on a bike ride, and then failing to take me out on a walk, she changed her mind.
As my mom helped me with putting my shoes on, I saw the suitcase. I started to giggle loudly and uncontrollably. I giggled all the way out to the van, and I continued to giggle aloud on our way to drop Grandma off. My mom has heard me giggle in my sleep while on a cruise, but she has never seen me laugh like this and for such long duration.
My mom suspects that I am suffering from “travel fever”. Before I continue, I need to clarify what I mean to my non-Chinese friends. I am not talking about Post Travel Fever. When the Chinese talk about someone has a fever (發燒友) for something, it means the person is crazy about it. Having a “travel fever” means I love traveling to the extreme. I was so delirious with joy because I thought I was going away on a trip.
I saw the suitcase went with Grandma when we dropped her off. My mom also told me we were going home. No more giggles from me.
A Friend
I have met a very nice young man, Peter, through my sister. He blogged about me some time ago and the following is what he has written:
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Timothy is Emily's brother, and I've always found him to be great fun to hang out with. More importantly, it makes you feel so good inside any time he achieves something new. I've rarely blogged about him before; I just never knew what to say. I think I know what to say now, but first I want to share some of the stories from times spent with him:
I bought a Wii when they were first released. I took it to Edmonton on a few trips, but then realized that Timothy might be able to make use of it than I had been. Emily bought the WiiPlay pack, and she found the perfect game for him - cow racing. You hold the remote sideways and tilt it left or right to steer, knocking over random objects as you go. He loved playing it, even though he never finished the race on time. :)
Emily's mum bought a side-by-side sit-down tandem bicycle a few years ago. It's quite well engineered, with a park brake, dual handle bars, independent gears, etc, though not the most stylish vehicle on the road. ;) Emily and I took Timothy for a ride up and down the local streets - Tim and I rode, while Emily walked alongside keeping an eye out for traffic and dogs. To begin with I would do all the steering, but at the halfway point I just took my hands off the handlebars and left it up to Tim. Within a few minutes, he was able to both pedal the bicycle and simultaneously steer us away from parked cars in the street. Even better, if I pointed left or right at an intersection, he would make the turn by himself! I was very impressed, and could even take a break from pedaling myself... ;)
Emily picked up a second-hand copy of Elebits for the Wii. Now, as far as Wii games go, Elebits is pretty sophisticated - the left hand is used to move the player around the level, and the right hand is used to control the camera and shoot targets. Emily realized early on that Tim couldn't handle both aspects at the same time, so she would move the player around the level, and Timothy would be left in control of the camera and shooting. Funnily enough, Timothy loves things that spin, so when he found a ceiling fan within the game he would keep directing the camera so that he could watch it! No matter where you moved in the level, he would consistently pivot the camera to watch the fan. It was cute, but more importantly demonstrated his increasing ability to control his movements within the game. When I visited Edmonton last, Timothy was controlling both aspects - player movement, and camera control. He even started hunting down Elebits, the way you're supposed to! :) I can only hope things continue to improve.
Timothy loves music, and is always asking for the music to be turned on when at home or in the car. It seemed appropriate to get a second-generation iPod Shuffle for him - they are nearly indestructible, have very few buttons, have a strong built-in clip, and can be volume limited in software. We set him up with his new iPod, pre-loaded with some of his favorite music, and we took him for a trip to his cousin's house (where, coincidentally, he got to play Guitar Hero with Emily's help). Nothing remarkable happened on the trip, though he did seem to enjoy his time with his cousins. However, when we got home, he ran straight to his mum and was singing the words of the music on his iPod. I had never heard Tim sing before, and that was one of those "so good" moments I mentioned. I can only call the iPod a success. :)
Timothy is a special kid. He'll always need someone there to help. I'll never be able to just sit down and make small-talk with him. But you know what? That's okay. I know that I still want to hang out with him. Timothy is special in so many other ways.
And I never liked small-talk anyway. :)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Timothy is Emily's brother, and I've always found him to be great fun to hang out with. More importantly, it makes you feel so good inside any time he achieves something new. I've rarely blogged about him before; I just never knew what to say. I think I know what to say now, but first I want to share some of the stories from times spent with him:
I bought a Wii when they were first released. I took it to Edmonton on a few trips, but then realized that Timothy might be able to make use of it than I had been. Emily bought the WiiPlay pack, and she found the perfect game for him - cow racing. You hold the remote sideways and tilt it left or right to steer, knocking over random objects as you go. He loved playing it, even though he never finished the race on time. :)
Emily's mum bought a side-by-side sit-down tandem bicycle a few years ago. It's quite well engineered, with a park brake, dual handle bars, independent gears, etc, though not the most stylish vehicle on the road. ;) Emily and I took Timothy for a ride up and down the local streets - Tim and I rode, while Emily walked alongside keeping an eye out for traffic and dogs. To begin with I would do all the steering, but at the halfway point I just took my hands off the handlebars and left it up to Tim. Within a few minutes, he was able to both pedal the bicycle and simultaneously steer us away from parked cars in the street. Even better, if I pointed left or right at an intersection, he would make the turn by himself! I was very impressed, and could even take a break from pedaling myself... ;)
Emily picked up a second-hand copy of Elebits for the Wii. Now, as far as Wii games go, Elebits is pretty sophisticated - the left hand is used to move the player around the level, and the right hand is used to control the camera and shoot targets. Emily realized early on that Tim couldn't handle both aspects at the same time, so she would move the player around the level, and Timothy would be left in control of the camera and shooting. Funnily enough, Timothy loves things that spin, so when he found a ceiling fan within the game he would keep directing the camera so that he could watch it! No matter where you moved in the level, he would consistently pivot the camera to watch the fan. It was cute, but more importantly demonstrated his increasing ability to control his movements within the game. When I visited Edmonton last, Timothy was controlling both aspects - player movement, and camera control. He even started hunting down Elebits, the way you're supposed to! :) I can only hope things continue to improve.
Timothy loves music, and is always asking for the music to be turned on when at home or in the car. It seemed appropriate to get a second-generation iPod Shuffle for him - they are nearly indestructible, have very few buttons, have a strong built-in clip, and can be volume limited in software. We set him up with his new iPod, pre-loaded with some of his favorite music, and we took him for a trip to his cousin's house (where, coincidentally, he got to play Guitar Hero with Emily's help). Nothing remarkable happened on the trip, though he did seem to enjoy his time with his cousins. However, when we got home, he ran straight to his mum and was singing the words of the music on his iPod. I had never heard Tim sing before, and that was one of those "so good" moments I mentioned. I can only call the iPod a success. :)
Timothy is a special kid. He'll always need someone there to help. I'll never be able to just sit down and make small-talk with him. But you know what? That's okay. I know that I still want to hang out with him. Timothy is special in so many other ways.
And I never liked small-talk anyway. :)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Aftermath
Other than a big bruise on my right upper arm, I appear to be fine after the bike accident. My mom examines me every day and asks me if I am sore. I don't understand what she is asking, so she has to use her judgment to determine the appropriate course of action. Since she has a lot of pain, she assumes that I have some pain too. She decided to give me one small dose of anti-inflammatory a day for pain relief as well as prevention of local tissue inflammation/reaction.
My mom had so much pain the first day that she needed to take both muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory. She went to bed before 9 pm., which is extremely unusual for her. She woke up every hour from pain, mostly in her left shoulder.
My mom notices new bruises in addition to the goose egg on the back of her left hand:
1. Bruise on her left palm, medial to the base of her thumb. No wonder it hurts so much when she tries to use her thumb. She can't even hold onto a pen firm enough to remove the cap.
2. Bruises on her left forearm and elbow
3. Bruises on the left side of her chest and left hip
5. Bruises on her left thigh and left knee
6. Bruises on the base of her right thumb, right knee and right lower leg
She does not see any bruise on her left shoulder, even though that hurts the most. She has trouble using her left arm to turn the steering wheel. So, her right arm has to take care of both changing gears and turning the steering wheel. My mom does not want you to be alarmed. She is slowly getting better. She is coping well and when you see her, you cannot even tell she is in pain.
My mom had so much pain the first day that she needed to take both muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory. She went to bed before 9 pm., which is extremely unusual for her. She woke up every hour from pain, mostly in her left shoulder.
My mom notices new bruises in addition to the goose egg on the back of her left hand:
1. Bruise on her left palm, medial to the base of her thumb. No wonder it hurts so much when she tries to use her thumb. She can't even hold onto a pen firm enough to remove the cap.
2. Bruises on her left forearm and elbow
3. Bruises on the left side of her chest and left hip
5. Bruises on her left thigh and left knee
6. Bruises on the base of her right thumb, right knee and right lower leg
She does not see any bruise on her left shoulder, even though that hurts the most. She has trouble using her left arm to turn the steering wheel. So, her right arm has to take care of both changing gears and turning the steering wheel. My mom does not want you to be alarmed. She is slowly getting better. She is coping well and when you see her, you cannot even tell she is in pain.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
River Valley Trail
Edmonton is known for its beautiful river valley trail. My mom has thought about taking me there for a bike ride for some time. She finally did it this morning.
The first part of the trail was going downhill and it was easy riding. I just loved it as we breezed through in relatively high speed. My mom used the brake to keep us from going too fast. As I was enjoying the ride, my mom worried how we were going to make it up the hill on our return. When we drove by a few cyclists, she stopped and asked for help with regard to the right gear for going uphill. They helped her to set the gears to the most easy riding setting. We rode for 2.5 km and reached Government House Park. We made it there in about 15 minutes. It would have taken us an hour to walk this distance. Right by the park, we came to an area where there was a steeper incline for a short distance (maybe 10 m). We couldn't make it up the hill, so my mom got me off the bike and we pushed it up the hill. The trail ahead looked level enough for my mom to feel comfortable to continue. We pedalled another 2.5 km along the River Vally Road. We passed the Victoria Golf Course and the Victoria Park on our left. Some downtown buildings were visible behind the trees. My mom decided to turn around when we reached the High Level Bridge.
The weather was nice and I saw a motor boat as we travelled alongside the river. When we got back to the steeper incline by the Government House Park, I saw a dog. I got nervous and suddenly pedalled really fast. Since we were going downhill, our speed picked up rapidly. My mom could not remember if she actually braked or was only thinking of braking. We lost control and our bike flipped over in a flash. The canopy collapsed on top of us. Thank God we flipped over on the grass and not on the cement. My mom helped me to get up and checked me out. I could walk and seemed to be fine. The posts holding the canopy up got bent. A man came by and helped to straighten the posts so that the canopy could be mounted on the frame again.
We continued our homeward journey going mostly uphill. At some locations, my mom could not get the bike going if I did not help in pedalling. We got off and push part of the way. Then we got back on and pedalled some distance. After getting off and on several times, we eventually made it home. I don't think we will go there again. This suits me fine as we met way too many dogs along the trail.
My mom has a bruise (a goose egg about the size of a toonie) on her left hand. Her left shoulder and wrist are sore. Guess what she is getting as treatment? I am sure Emily can guess right.
The first part of the trail was going downhill and it was easy riding. I just loved it as we breezed through in relatively high speed. My mom used the brake to keep us from going too fast. As I was enjoying the ride, my mom worried how we were going to make it up the hill on our return. When we drove by a few cyclists, she stopped and asked for help with regard to the right gear for going uphill. They helped her to set the gears to the most easy riding setting. We rode for 2.5 km and reached Government House Park. We made it there in about 15 minutes. It would have taken us an hour to walk this distance. Right by the park, we came to an area where there was a steeper incline for a short distance (maybe 10 m). We couldn't make it up the hill, so my mom got me off the bike and we pushed it up the hill. The trail ahead looked level enough for my mom to feel comfortable to continue. We pedalled another 2.5 km along the River Vally Road. We passed the Victoria Golf Course and the Victoria Park on our left. Some downtown buildings were visible behind the trees. My mom decided to turn around when we reached the High Level Bridge.
The weather was nice and I saw a motor boat as we travelled alongside the river. When we got back to the steeper incline by the Government House Park, I saw a dog. I got nervous and suddenly pedalled really fast. Since we were going downhill, our speed picked up rapidly. My mom could not remember if she actually braked or was only thinking of braking. We lost control and our bike flipped over in a flash. The canopy collapsed on top of us. Thank God we flipped over on the grass and not on the cement. My mom helped me to get up and checked me out. I could walk and seemed to be fine. The posts holding the canopy up got bent. A man came by and helped to straighten the posts so that the canopy could be mounted on the frame again.
We continued our homeward journey going mostly uphill. At some locations, my mom could not get the bike going if I did not help in pedalling. We got off and push part of the way. Then we got back on and pedalled some distance. After getting off and on several times, we eventually made it home. I don't think we will go there again. This suits me fine as we met way too many dogs along the trail.
My mom has a bruise (a goose egg about the size of a toonie) on her left hand. Her left shoulder and wrist are sore. Guess what she is getting as treatment? I am sure Emily can guess right.
Medical Advice
Since Emily settled in Vancouver, she has called my mom twice so far. Both times were for medical advice. The first call was when she sustained her first injury from getting her palm crushed as she pushed the handle of the vacuum cleaner down. The second call was when Peter suffered from low back pain. The medical advice she got on these two occasions was "apply ice". Emily made a comment about ice being the standard treatment plan.
There is a good chance Emily will not call for medical advice again as she knows the answer. My mom should have varied her response to ensure future calls. Anyway, my mom is not sure if she should look forward to hearing from Emily again (for more medical advice).
In the past, when my mom and Emily were in different cities, my mom could often catch Emily online and was able to chat with her from time to time. The truth is . . . . . It is not when my mom and Emily are apart that she goes online regularly. It is when Emily and Peter are apart that she capitalizes on all the high tech available to stay connected with him. Now that they are both in the same city, they can meet face to face instead of virtually.
There is a good chance Emily will not call for medical advice again as she knows the answer. My mom should have varied her response to ensure future calls. Anyway, my mom is not sure if she should look forward to hearing from Emily again (for more medical advice).
In the past, when my mom and Emily were in different cities, my mom could often catch Emily online and was able to chat with her from time to time. The truth is . . . . . It is not when my mom and Emily are apart that she goes online regularly. It is when Emily and Peter are apart that she capitalizes on all the high tech available to stay connected with him. Now that they are both in the same city, they can meet face to face instead of virtually.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Emily's Room
Now that Emily has moved out, I get to sleep in her room when I spend Saturday nights at my mom's home. My grandma have forewarned my mom about me getting into Emily's stuff.
Last night, I was thrilled to be allowed into Emily's room. The first thing I saw was the stereo system and I immediately asked for music. Then I saw a whole stack of CD's. My mom tucked me in and I continued to bug my mom for music. Finally, she gave in and look for a CD. She checked every single CD case and all of the CD's were gone (with Emily). She went downstairs to get a tape. My mom had to get up to flip the tape over to play the other side. After she did that a couple of times, she put in a CD.
My mom was beginning to wonder if I would sleep at all with so many things of interest to me. She was glad that at least I was staying in bed (with her repeatedly reminding me to keep my head down on the pillow). There were different gadgets on the floor - some of them with blinking lights. A laptop and a destktop computer were on the table. My mom was checking e-mails and the mouse was so cool. It changed colors from green to purple to blue to red. When the light hit mom's Koala Bear gel wrist rest, the colors shone through it. It was beautiful!
There was also a fan on the desk. My mom had debated whether she should remove or hide it. She decided to leave it to put me to the test. There was so much to see that I either did not even notice the fan or I was not interested in it.
I eventually fell asleep after midnight and I was up before 7 am. My mom persuaded me to go downstairs for breakfast. Since we still had lots of time before leaving for church, my mom allowed me to go back into Emily's room for music. She told me to sit on the bed and I complied. She left the room to go washed up and get dressed. When she returned to the room, I stayed sitting on the bed enjoying music. She praised me profusely and hugged me. My impressive performance is going to guarantee future access to Emily's room.
Last night, I was thrilled to be allowed into Emily's room. The first thing I saw was the stereo system and I immediately asked for music. Then I saw a whole stack of CD's. My mom tucked me in and I continued to bug my mom for music. Finally, she gave in and look for a CD. She checked every single CD case and all of the CD's were gone (with Emily). She went downstairs to get a tape. My mom had to get up to flip the tape over to play the other side. After she did that a couple of times, she put in a CD.
My mom was beginning to wonder if I would sleep at all with so many things of interest to me. She was glad that at least I was staying in bed (with her repeatedly reminding me to keep my head down on the pillow). There were different gadgets on the floor - some of them with blinking lights. A laptop and a destktop computer were on the table. My mom was checking e-mails and the mouse was so cool. It changed colors from green to purple to blue to red. When the light hit mom's Koala Bear gel wrist rest, the colors shone through it. It was beautiful!
There was also a fan on the desk. My mom had debated whether she should remove or hide it. She decided to leave it to put me to the test. There was so much to see that I either did not even notice the fan or I was not interested in it.
I eventually fell asleep after midnight and I was up before 7 am. My mom persuaded me to go downstairs for breakfast. Since we still had lots of time before leaving for church, my mom allowed me to go back into Emily's room for music. She told me to sit on the bed and I complied. She left the room to go washed up and get dressed. When she returned to the room, I stayed sitting on the bed enjoying music. She praised me profusely and hugged me. My impressive performance is going to guarantee future access to Emily's room.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Family Vacations
While my mom was still in Vancouver, Auntie Paula's family went there for a family vacation. My grandma, mom and Emily joined them for a visit of the Butchart Gardens in Victoria. The last time my mom went there was about a quarter of a century ago. The trip brought back fond memories of her visit there with my dad. I was there too - a chubby kid of 10 months old.
Our extended family used to go on vacations together every summer until some of the cousins started to attend university. Summer school and summer jobs made it difficult to find a suitable time. Initially, our family did not join the group vacations as my mom generally drove to New York to visit her brother's family, or to San Francisco to visit her cousins. My mom stopped long distance driving temporarily after she had 4 motor vehicle accidents (October 1992, January 1993, February 1994, July 1994).
My mom decided to particpate in the "extended family vacation" in 1994. Our family went as "passengers". My mom missed the driving and the convenience of being in our own vehicle. It was definitely easier to look after me in our van.
It was a big group of 32 family members. When our gang pulled into a gas station, we saw a banner on the roof of MacDonald's stating "Kids eat free after 5 pm". It was after 5 pm. and we had kids. An auntie went over to check it out and confirmed that when an adult purchased a meal, the accompanied child can get a kid's meal for free. Perfect! We had 16 adults and 16 kids. This could be a historical moment for this MacDonald's in a small town having 32 Chinese customers marching in at the same time. The waitress serving us was overwhelmed by taking such a big order. She made mistakes with our drinks so that we ended up with many extra pops. We also had so much french fries that the kids could eat to their hearts' content. There must have been a lot of pops and french fries that 16 kids could not finish them all.
Our extended family used to go on vacations together every summer until some of the cousins started to attend university. Summer school and summer jobs made it difficult to find a suitable time. Initially, our family did not join the group vacations as my mom generally drove to New York to visit her brother's family, or to San Francisco to visit her cousins. My mom stopped long distance driving temporarily after she had 4 motor vehicle accidents (October 1992, January 1993, February 1994, July 1994).
My mom decided to particpate in the "extended family vacation" in 1994. Our family went as "passengers". My mom missed the driving and the convenience of being in our own vehicle. It was definitely easier to look after me in our van.
It was a big group of 32 family members. When our gang pulled into a gas station, we saw a banner on the roof of MacDonald's stating "Kids eat free after 5 pm". It was after 5 pm. and we had kids. An auntie went over to check it out and confirmed that when an adult purchased a meal, the accompanied child can get a kid's meal for free. Perfect! We had 16 adults and 16 kids. This could be a historical moment for this MacDonald's in a small town having 32 Chinese customers marching in at the same time. The waitress serving us was overwhelmed by taking such a big order. She made mistakes with our drinks so that we ended up with many extra pops. We also had so much french fries that the kids could eat to their hearts' content. There must have been a lot of pops and french fries that 16 kids could not finish them all.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Vancouver
My grandma, mom and Emily arrived Vancouver on June 18. Internet access in Vancouver was not as good as my mom anticipated. She was not able to "steal" wireless internet as all networks found were secured.
When helping Emily to move into her apartment, my mom's van broke down. The fan did not come on and the van overheated. My mom's friend knows a mechanic, Mr. Ma. He was such an angel that he cancelled his afternoon tea with a friend. He drove all the way across town to my mom's rescue. At 4 pm. Saturday afternoon, obtaining parts could be tricky.
A call was made to the North Vancouver VW dealer to ask about the required parts and the closing time. They closed at 5 pm. giving them enough time to get there from downtown Vancouver. Mr. Ma offered to drive his car as my mom's van might not make it there. It was upsetting that the person on the phone did not say the parts department closed at 4 pm. Mr. Ma called someone in Richmond to obtain the parts from Richmond VW dealer as there was no way they could get there in time.
Mr. Ma drove from North Vancouver to Richmond to pick up the parts and then drove all the way back to downtown to fix the van. It was a round trip from west to north, then from north to east down to the south before heading back to the west. He did not even accept my mom's payment for his time and service. He took $20 for gas and $6 for parts.
My mom drove Emily and Peter around to shop for a computer desk and a chair. She did grocery shopping for some very basic items. She made about 200 meatballs to get Emily started.
My mom would have prepared more foods for Emily if she had time. She received news that a long-time friend passed away and his funeral was on June 30. She drove back to Edmonton on June 29.
When helping Emily to move into her apartment, my mom's van broke down. The fan did not come on and the van overheated. My mom's friend knows a mechanic, Mr. Ma. He was such an angel that he cancelled his afternoon tea with a friend. He drove all the way across town to my mom's rescue. At 4 pm. Saturday afternoon, obtaining parts could be tricky.
A call was made to the North Vancouver VW dealer to ask about the required parts and the closing time. They closed at 5 pm. giving them enough time to get there from downtown Vancouver. Mr. Ma offered to drive his car as my mom's van might not make it there. It was upsetting that the person on the phone did not say the parts department closed at 4 pm. Mr. Ma called someone in Richmond to obtain the parts from Richmond VW dealer as there was no way they could get there in time.
Mr. Ma drove from North Vancouver to Richmond to pick up the parts and then drove all the way back to downtown to fix the van. It was a round trip from west to north, then from north to east down to the south before heading back to the west. He did not even accept my mom's payment for his time and service. He took $20 for gas and $6 for parts.
My mom drove Emily and Peter around to shop for a computer desk and a chair. She did grocery shopping for some very basic items. She made about 200 meatballs to get Emily started.
My mom would have prepared more foods for Emily if she had time. She received news that a long-time friend passed away and his funeral was on June 30. She drove back to Edmonton on June 29.
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