Any help here for an emergency b-day gift for my mom?

[baby_bear]

I was gone almost all of August and now am confronting my mother's 80th birthday tomorrow -- Labor Day, a federal holiday. 80th birthday, jeez!

She lives in So. Calif. and I live in Seattle. Any ideas what I can do to send her something that she could receive tomorrow?

Am I lame or what? jeez

thanks for any suggestions.

guilty s_m

[AnnabelLee]

1. Flowers? n/t

[Coffee Coyote]

2. autographed Edgar ball

No wait, that is what you are getting me for MY birthday! :D

[baby_bear]

6. Hey, you KNOW that isn't what I have

I have a Mike Cameron-signed ball.

My mom would appreciate neither, I'm afraid.

This reminds me of an I Love Lucy episode when Lucy finds out she is pregnant. Fred Mertz brings over a baseball glove and an autographed ball, for the future baby, and the baseball is signed "by the most famous player ever" according to Fred. She turns it around and says, "Oh, Spalding!!"

Of course, it was really Joe DiMaggio's signature on the ball....

back to flowers...

s_m

[Maple]

3. Flowers

Instantly sendable

Make em special though.

Dozen red roses or something.

I mean...80 and all...it's not an ordinary birthday.

[baby_bear]

9. yep

I'm looking into the flower option as we speak. I have to make sure they aren't funereal, if ya know what I mean. My gramdmother always hated lilies because she should they should be reserved for death.

*sigh*

I wish she were healthy and I could simply tell her to go out on the town on my chit. Guess I should have done that 10 years ago. ere

Guess I'm a terrible daughter for not going down there.

ACCCKKKK!! Guilt!!!!

s_m

[HEyHEY]

4. Theate tickets

[baby_bear]

5. You're funny

I mean, my mom lives in Oxnard, California, which happens to be where I grew up until I could escape at age 17...if there is a theatre there, I don't know about it. I used to go to the drive-in every weekend, though...don't think that counts....

Good thought, though. I think I will do better with flowers in that town!
s_m

[grasswire]

7. hop on the plane....

...and surprise her! That would be the sweetest gift of all.

And whassamatta wit you? Putting off Ma's eightieth??

[baby_bear]

8. I know, I know

I was in Canada all of August on a boat, so I didn't really prepare for this. Maybe I am in denial over her 80th, who knows. I did send her two bottles of pickles and a box of cookies, but that doesn't seem to count much toward an 80th birthday. Or maybe it's because my dad died as soon as he turned 80. I dunno.

Denial is a remarkable thing. But then, so are pickles.

s_m

[MoonGod]

11. Oxnard...

... There probably is some local theater, but yeah, you're not exactly going to have Lion King in town.

I like it up there, though. It makes for a nice break from this SFV crap.

Umm... having something delivered to somebody in Oxnard on Labor Day. Wow. That is a toughy. If I didn't have such a busy day tomorrow, I'd help you out, 'cuz I'd love to get up there and take a deep breath... but I've got 2 PC support gigs tomorrow.. one paying and the other a freebie for my dad (woo hoo! He finally got a computer.. now to gently woo him over to DU.. wish me luck :))

[baby_bear]

13. I think I've located a place to deliver flowers

Let's face it, Labor Day isn't a day off for everyone....
and you are right, Oxnard isn't bad as a comparison to SFV. I think I grew up lower middle class as close to the beach as you could get; Ox Shores and Hueneme Beach were definitely not the hi-faluting society (still aren't). I miss the ocean very much. I think it's in my veins. I love the sound of the waves crashing....

Anyway, I've got a couple places to call to try to send my mom a dish garden. She likes those live plants.

I'll get back there one of these days.

thanks
s_m

[MoonGod]

15. Don't forget the phone call.

:)

[JVS]

10. Go see your mom!

[MoonGod]

12. One thing to make sure she gets...

...a phone call. That's the most important thing. Talk to her. Mom's like that. :)

[baby_bear]

14. Of course! I will call her.

It's not so easy just to go down there and vist. Hard to explain why. I was there two years ago when she had her back surgery, which was unsuccessful. (They call it "failed back surgery" in medical parlance. I have my own terms for a screwed-up neurosurgeon who happens to be a misogynist. Another story.)

She's going to be 80 and I don't want to consider her mortality as a reality. It's easier to consider my own than hers.

So I don't want to go there and confront my fears.

I know, I'm a bad daughter. But it's because I love her, not because I don't....make sense at all??? Maybe not.

Gosh, being a daughter is tough. Seems you can just love your parents too much, sometimes, and then lose objectivity.

I better sign off before I get REALLY maudlin!!

Thanks everyone for their input. I'll try to be a better daughter, before it's too late.

s_m