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Preparations for the early December vacation began in earnest six weeks before. The plan was to purchase, prepare and deliver a new, Windows 7, notebook computer to Mom in Las Vegas. Cheryl couldn't get off work, so this was going to be a solo adventure. In our conversations, Mom mentioned that she was interested in visiting us in Seattle. I invited her to come back with me on Wednesday and to stay the rest of my vacation. She agreed and Cheryl made the arrangements.
With the new computer ready, I boarded the plane to Las Vegas Sunday morning, November 29th. I arrived about 3pm and we began setting up the new computer. Mom also had a new laser printer delivered and waiting, so that too was installed. Special this visit was the new webcam that Mom had asked for. We ordered a pizza and worked all evening on setting the system up. Everything was done and operational by late evening.
Monday we took off and visited two assisted living places Mom had her eye on. The first one she had visited about five years earlier and the other one was brand new and near her church. It was interesting for her to see the changes in the first one. The new one was quite opulent and had the latest in technology for monitoring the residents and facilities. We learned a bit about the affordability and amenities offered.
Being the first of the month, Tuesday we made the rounds to the banks, Post Office, groceries and gas. Then it was time to start packing. It had been quite some time since Mom had flown, so learning what she could and could not carry on the plane was a real experience for her. By later in the evening we were ready to travel.
Mom had a friend from church drive us to the airport on Wednesday. There we got ourselves through security and waited for our flight. On the first leg of our trip, we had a little wine on our flight. Sure made for a smoother flight. We picked up the second leg of our trip in Portland, OR. The shuttle flight was serving free wine, so we forced ourselves to accept that too. Best flight home I've ever had. Cheryl picked us up at Seatac Airport and announced that her boss was letting her work from home the next two days, allowing her to join us.
Since Mom was interested in assisted living places, Cheryl and I found three local ones that we could visit while Mom was here. While those visits were the main activities, we did manage to get a shopping trip to the mall in on Saturday. Afterward, Mom took us out to the Red Lobster for dinner. Always eat too much there.
After having brunch at the last (and best) assisted living place on Sunday, it was time to pack up and get Mom ready to fly home. A side note - according to the security camera, Mom made 23 trips up and down the stairs with no difficulty. It was an early flight on Monday and I said good-bye to Mom as she was headed through security. Then I took Cheryl to work. I spent the rest of the day cleaning up and getting ready for work on Tuesday.
It was a great vacation. It went way to fast and I gained too many pounds. Oh well, here comes Christmas!
Click here to see the vacation pictures.
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