disaster

Mum finds thrills in devastation and destruction. She was glued to her TV the day a greek airliner crashed near Athens. She felt so personally connected because: 1) she's been in planes, and 2) she landed at Athens once.

teeth

2 weeks on from my overhaul of Mum's finances, she rings me up to say that she's getting the dog's teeth cleaned by the vet, which will cost £300. Once I've absorbed that figure, I ask if she'll be able to claim for it on her pet plan that she's been paying into each month.

"Ah, yes, the vet gave me some forms for a Saga Pet Plan, so I've sent off to join that one."

"Mum, why are you taking out another insurance when you're paying £20 a month into an existing one, already?"

"Oh, I assumed you'd cancelled that one"

"Of course I didn't. I only cancelled things you weren't using. Did you think of checking first?"

[an hour passes]

"I've been down to the bank and you're right. The Pet Plan is still in place."

[why did she need to check with the bank?]


Recently I drove down South and picked Mum and her dog up, and brought them up here to my house for a break. Mum had a new £100 "sonic" toothbrush, which she packed without it's charger. Naturally, within the time spent here, it ran out of charge and she had to use it as a normal toothbrush. On our return, she told me that she had to buy a new toothbrush.

"Why? What's wrong with your "sonic" one?"

"It doesn't work any more"

"That's because it ran out of charge, Mum. Have you charged it up since you got back?"

"No, I.....er.... threw it out. It wasn't working"

"MUM, that's a brand new VERY expensive toothbrush!..... Hang on, you had it this morning, because I found it packed with the dog's food."

Of course, I find it and it works perfectly after a short re-charge.

[why did she claim to have thrown it out?]



I think I need to take Valium or something like that to cope with Mum