A Sad Ending

I get a call first thing Monday morning from the hospital to say that my Mum has died overnight. It’s a shock, as we didn’t expect it to be so quick, but in a way it was also a relief that it was so quick. 

My Dad and I had a pleasant evening with her the night before, although brief, where she did at least manage to acknowledge that we were there.

Overall it seems a rather low key ending to almost 94 years on this planet but that again is probably not a bad thing. If anyone could be said to be ‘ready to go’ it was my Mum.

I ring my brother who is currently away on holiday and then we go around to see my Dad to break the sad news in person. In order to lighten the mood we look for somewhere for lunch. Having failed miserably to find a local café we end up at the Trent Lock pub at, obviously, Trent Lock. Somewhere I haven’t been since I was a teenager. We did used to go there quite a lot as kids, so it also seemed oddly appropriate.

Having taken the Monday off work for obvious reasons I am told by work to take a second day off but don’t really know what to do with it. So after giving my Dad a bit of time on his own I go over to see him and we go for a walk on Elvaston Park then go to a pub, naturally. This time the New Inn at Shardlow.

On Wednesday I do go back to work and actually into work by bike. Surprisingly I remember how to do it in what was my first bike ride of June. Good job it’s only the 29th.

Unfortunately I am now almost as bruised as L is, but from bite marks, after getting between the Lad and one of his least favourite other dogs. L is improving now and has managed to return to some of her exercise classes despite her deer inflicted bruises but not yet her yoga, which appears to be a step too far. 

I am mainly in work because I have a lunch date where I get to hear the latest about life in retirement. L is very jealous of life in retirement.

Thursday is Tennis and on Friday I go over to see my Dad again. Not to miss out L joins us as we’re bound to end up in a pub. Yep. Another evening in the New Inn.

On Saturday I Parkrun at Wollaton, while L tail walks. She has a run later in the Smalley 5 Bells race which starts at 5pm. She was a member of the Smalley club when they did a test run of this event pre-Covid and now they’ve finally managed to run it for real.

There’s another meal out with my Dad on Sunday when we take him for lunch at the Clock Warehouse in Shardlow. We’ll all be fat and alcoholics at this rate.

(Sunday 3^rd July)