the Dalaverse

Dear Flist:

The next time I have a totally unnecessary paranoid freakout, please slap me in the face.

There was this whole switcharoo with the cars and the phones today because Dad decided to go to a baseball game tonight (the LAST ONE THANK GOD). I've been carrying his cell phone because I don't have one anymore, but he took it today so that he could call me to tell me where he parked the car at the Metro station, so I could pick it up after work. The reason I had to pick the car up to get home was because Mom was going out to lunch with her friends and wasn't sure she would make it back in time to pick me up at 5 (they would be about 40 minutes away, since that's where the other two live). I had Mom's cell phone so that this call about the car could be made. So, okay so far.

I got home around 5:45 and took a nap, as you do. A phone call woke me up around 6:30, but I didn't get to it in time and the caller didn't leave a message. I futzed around in the kitchen for awhile, wondering why my mother wasn't home yet. It was getting dark and I was getting worried. Let me explain something: when my dad had his heart attacks three years ago, I became a chronic worrier. I freak out when I get an unexpected phone call at work or wherever, and I also freak out when someone in my family is not where they said they'd be at any give time. I could not understand why Mom wasn't back when she had gone out for lunch hours ago.

At 7, I called one of the friends she was with - her cell phone rang for awhile then went to voicemail. I called my dad to see if Mom had said she would be going to the grocery store or something after lunch; he was clueless (and very loud). I called the friend again; I called the other friend at home (the only number in the phone) and she was not there. I called Megan at 7:30 so I could babble at her; she said not to worry and wait another hour (I might have mentioned that I was getting ready to call the hospitals and the police. We do have Shady Grove on speed dial. I wish that was a joke, but it's not).

I'm sitting there in the living room, trying to read a book and staring out the window everytime a car drives by. I call Friend 1 again to leave her a rambly voice mail asking her to call me back (I think I called five times total). Finally around 8:30, Mom calls. She's at Friend 2's house and does not understand why my voice is shaking over the phone as I yell at her for not calling. I should also mention that I hadn't eaten anything so that did not improve my mood. After hanging up, I load the dog into the car (he is like an infant, seriously, he can't be left alone) and drive through Taco Bell. It didn't make me feel much better, in retrospect. I should've gotten something cheesier.

Anyway, Mom finally comes in the door at 9 and is all 'Why were you worried? Don't be ridiculous!' I can't really explain, so I yell some more and refuse to give her any of my tacos. I admit that I overreacted, but I still think the proper response was 'I'm sorry you were so worried and upset,' not 'WTF?'

I need to scrapbook crochet for a little while.