Did You Get My Message, 'cause I Looked in Vain?

Colour me bright red, please. No, not in the political sense. Yesterday I learned that I missed an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner with a friend and her family – kids and grandkids - the lot.

Let me backtrack.

Returning to the apartment in the morning following one short errand, I heard the beep of the answering machine letting me know that I missed a call. “ONE new message” the automated male voice said.

However, when I hit play there was one message from a few minutes earlier - - then, to my astonishment - - one from the day before Thanksgiving from my friend Elizabeth telling me that two email messages she sent were returned undeliverable and she was calling to invite me to break bread with her wonderful brood the next day, and to give her a call.

First, I don’t understand why she’s had such trouble getting email to me, but second (and more important) why her message didn’t show up on that Wednesday.

OK, I live in a low-lying area prone to flooding during heavy rains and this means we occasionally lose electric power. When the area loses power the answering machine ‘forgets’ that a new message is in queue, which short circuits the warning beep, though retains the message in memory. I wracked my brain in order to remember the weather of that week.

Who am I kidding? I was on painkillers and muscle relaxants big time back then, but can’t imagine any other reason to explain how this happened.

Not that I would have been in any condition to be out and about – let alone drive under doped up conditions – but it would have been nice to say thanks and have a short chat. Elizabeth and her beloved are very dear to me. She helped me through the turmoil and disintegration of my 30-year relationship that was happening at a time when I was the sickest I have ever been. I am still digging out from under all the drama and ugliness from 2006 to the present. Mind you, aside from the damned kidney stones, all was going along well until that damned fall 2 weeks ago. No drugs, nothing.

The Photo: I found this shot in my camera taken after a delightful evening together at Dos Locos, a favourite restaurant in town. By the time stamp this was taken the night before my visit to the ER. It’s amazing how quickly things can change.

And so it goes.

*