Suzanna Travels

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Summer 2024 Viking River Cruise
Day 0

Yuck. I am done traveling. I am changing my name from “Suzanna Travels” to “Suzanna is done Traveling” or “Suzanna Traveled”.
5 hours left in the sucky flight. I am stuck don’t have a choice now. I have to push thru. I have lost my head set so another movie is not an option. I watched Killers of the Flower Moon about Osash Indian oil money in Oklahoma being taken away and they were being killed so white men could get their money.
2 more hours in the f-ing flight. It’s been brutally uncomfortable.

I was literally the last person on the plane to get dinner. I ate everything. Now waiting for breakfast to be served.
Maybe I can relax more now that this awful Atlanta to Istanbul leg is almost over.
But wait! We get to do it all over again going home from Istanbul to Altanta. F-ing A.
ed to enjoy The Now. I should have read more of that book.

Arrive in Istanbul where we have a 3-hour layover.

I am wiped. I do not feel like I’m in vacation mode. Just moving through to the next step. G hovering. Get used to it.

This airport is very nice and it is HUGE! A Budapest flight at gate F9B is posted on the board, but it is not our flight.
Turkish airline help desk said they would post the gate 45 minutes before the flight leaves. What? Really? So I lay down and try to rest.
Gary checked the flight board and runs to me saying our flight is boarding and we need to leave NOW for gate F9B. I jump up and I realize that is not our flight and try to explain to Gary how to read the flight board.
We would have run to the F gates only to find out our flight is leaving from the A gate (a very long walk away....) He makes a terse remark.
We are both suffering from lack of sleep. I need to brush off his stab at me. He was just reacting to my jabs. A culmination in our interactions to be kinder. OK . I’ll try.

Day 1 Arrive Budapest
In the Hilton, in the Viking area is near the lobby and Gary realized that he cannot find his wallet. He thinks he lost it in the shuttle. He was getting some money out for a driver tip and put his wallet in a different place. After a frantic search, he found it.
When we checked into the hotel they gave us two room keys. I kept one and gave the other key card to Gary. When we got up the room, he could not find his key. He found it later.
First morning at the Hilton. I took a 10 mg sleeping pill. I was using my FlyHugz pillow and I had my mouth taped shut. G said he had to wake me up because I was snoring really really loud. He said he has never heard anything so scary before in his life. (He often makes magnanamous statements like that) I do not remember him waking me up. I was so loud that is was scaring him. I did a huge big loud snoring gasping for air. Sorry I woke him but I was glad I got a good night sleep. Glad he is with me for that reason. To be accountable. It will be nicer when he starts socializing with others. I’ll have a bit more time to write.
I am absolutely loving that I don’t have to work. I am watching the Viking people working to prepare for us. G should start talking any second now. I am writing so I don’t have to talk. Yup. He is socializing.

Day 2 in Budapest

We got off the bus, then walked a couple blocks to big square where cafe Gerbeaud is located. We had 20 minutes and the guide said to meet at 11:55 in front of the cafe. G was talking so I thought it was good idea to verify that he knew the time and place to meet in case we got separated. He said 11:45 at the bus. I responed "Wrong and wrong". I think it’s a safety thing that you should know the time and place to meet.

G said his brain wasn’t working this morning and that scares me. His brain was working because he was talking. It was his ears that weren't working. He is still trying to learn how to listen and he just cant learn. That is not good. I cannot keep up with my everything and his too. I don’t have the capacity to think for both of us, but that is what is required. A wife should not be surprised that is what must be done. But I am not his wife. I expect him to be responsible for himself. But that is asking too much…. Patience, patience. So I don’t snip at him again…. But I couldn’t help it. He got it wrong and wrong. He would rather talk than listen. No surprise there. Then he asks me. Then a little later he asks me again. This is exhausting sometimes.

I gave him a list of the hotel with addresses and I hope that he put that in his wallet in case he has to find his way back to the group.
OK done venting for now...

No, not done venting. I got a pix of the shopping street. When we were crossing the street we noticed a 4-wheeler transport. The guy stops and gets G attention. G walks back to him and guy gives G some flyers advertising something. Without looking both ways, G turns to walk back to me and he steps into the path of a muslim lady on a scooter that hits him! He said it was her fault. Sure he would say that, but what really happened is G stepped into her lane a travel and she hit him. Now what? How did that happen. He is so distracted sometimes. Duh.

We have this afternoon free. I do not want to be in charge of getting bus tickets and finding our way to the Parliament and back. I admit my sense of direction isn’t very good and I don’t have the energy to plan it. xx I am writing this and trying relax. G is talking to me about the last time he was here in Budapest. That was maybe 40 years ago. He said a lot of what we saw today was not here when he was here. No kidding.

OK, so I keep writing so I don’t have to chit chat. I am not doing well with that with G. T’s response to one of my snippy remarks was “Why do you say stuff like that?” She gained my respect after that question. She called me out. G continues to walk on broken glass around me, scared to say or do the wrong thing. He has caught on though, he says “I shouldn’t have said anything”. Yup, instead of reading me a sign or telling me something incorrect that I need to tell him the correct explanation from the notes in my book. Anyway.

Back at the hotel I let G try to find the room. He was walking in the correct direction then he stopped, turned around and started walking in the wrong direction. He stopped, turned around and walked down the wrong hallway in the other direction. He finally read a sign, turned around and walked back in the correct direction. Stuff like that is just a little unnerving to me. Like in Italy we were looking for our hotel and he walked right past it. I stopped at the hotel and yelled to him and asked where are you going?. Anyway.

I made him pick a restaurant then he showered and changed clothes. I refused to do that because it reminded me of when John required me to dress for dinner. But I am not doing that if I don’t want to. I did not shower and I wore the same clothes to dinner that night. That was OK with G.

OK, get that shit out and chill and have good time. Easier said than done.

G says the oddest things sometimes. I respond to myself with “ignore, ignore, ignore” or “patience, patience” Shrug it off

Day 3 in Budapest

It’s probably better to forget this, but I’m writing it anyway. Here goes. I left a 7:30 am wake up call. At 3:35 am we got a wake up call. Whaaat? I told them it should be 7:30 am. At 5:50 am we got another wake up call. I was pissed. Try to stay calm. I told them it should be 7:30 am for the wake up call. I ask him when is my wake up call scheduled. And he says 5:50. I explain again that our wake up call should be 7:30. I ask again when is our wake up call scheduled? He finally says 7:30 am. My alarm went off at 7:30. At 7:35 the phone rings. I don’t answer. Four rings and it stops. 7:45 it rings again. I didn’t answer. I’m trying to stay calm and I don’t answer because I am afraid I will be rude. 7:50 it rings again. Each time only 4 rings then it stops. I’ll try to be calm when I tell them at check out at 10 am.

Breakfast this morning G asks about the schedule. I give him the paper with the instructions. Three times I gave him the same paper that answered his questions. I need to repeat many things to him. He makes the excuse that his brain is not working. I agree. He does not listen and he does not retain information. BTW my 220 volt curling iron worked great this morning.

Need to go up to the roof top bar for a picture.
I took a 5 mg pill last night.
I’ve given him the schedule four times now.
Really looking forward to the rest of this trip except for Istanbul where I will need to keep track of everything there. I am not doing a bus tour with G. Travel on our own is tricky enough.
Packing this morning G is not used to any of this. He is a bit frantic searching for something. I asked if he got everything out of the safe. He walked toward the bathroom, came back. Found the safe. He cannot forget the code because it is the same code to get in his phone. He found his passport. This is good.
Maybe writing this doesn’t look good but it really helps me right now. Going on and on about stuff I notice that bothers me. If I get it all out here, I hope that is good therapy for me.

Day 4 Kalocsa and horse show
At the horse show, I had 2 glasses of wine. Then lunch 2 glasses. Feelin fine. Nap in the room. G has been very tolerant that I do not want x. He asked me to lay on his bed with him and I didn’t. I wonder if/when ?

I have not seen G read yet. That will be a first.

On the roof, I met Margaret from Australia. We talked about politics, abortion, gays, LGBTQ, Trump, Biden. She said a tour guide in Amsterdam had a group with no Americans so the guide told the group we have already started WWW3 now. Yup. Maybe.

DAY 5 – Friday, July 5 Osijek and Vukovar, Croatia

G still can’t catch onto the card key for the room. I went to breakfast and I am almost finished eating and he still has not arrived. I went back to the room. He was frantically looking for his room key card. It was in the slot by the door. I had to explain again the slot and a key card had to be in the slot for the lights to work. He still had a perplexed look on his face.

OMG – our talk last night. It was calm. He listened. I tried not to say anything rude or cruel. Everything I said was true. He asked directly “Are you in love with me?” I had to answer No, but I do love you dearly. He very often tells me he is so in love with me. I have responded with “Why is that?” or “I wish you weren’t” It is why he puts up with my words. I tried to explain that I have tried to stop doing that. I repeat my mantra “ignore, ignore, ignore” or “patience, patience, patience”. Our go to phrase is “I’m working on that”. Like he is working on not talking, he is working on trying to be a better listener so I have a chance to talk, maybe even tell a story.

things he says to try to be funny are not funny to me. It’s wonderful to not wear any makeup . I get ready very fast in the morninig. I notice he just copies the things I do. So this morning I made him go in front of me on the breakfast bar. I actually ate potato salad from the buffet at a meal. I could not tell if mayonnaise was used. All ok a day later.

6:30 Getting awkward. None yet.
DAY 6 – Saturday, July 6 Belgrade, Serbia City Tour

Not sure if I ever wrote about that second talk with G. He asked and I told him that I loved him dearly but I was not in love.
Oh yeah, about moving in together. He kept asking if we could move in together.
I asked “How? You to my house? Me to your house?”
He said we would figure it out. I told him no that I don’t think that would work.
At least he did not go off on the “we drive each other crazy” rant.
It was a very calm discussion. But he seemed very disappointed.
Sorry. But I can’t imagine taking care of me cooking, cleaning and taking care of him.
He says “I can cook”. Yeah right. I would still have to plan grocery etc .
Everything if we lived together. Not going to happen.

Sitting at the breakfast table Sunday morning. I left to go to the room. Now he’s back watching me write. Uncomfortable…

The presentation is copyright material and he has an agreement with Viking not to share that information.so I cannot post on the internet. He wants you to buy his book. $40 USD Amazon.
He said to me about the copyright: “I’m sure you know how that works.” I watched the presentation on the television set in my room and I took a picture of each PowerPoint slide. So burned 100 pix on digital camera. Can’t publish any of the pix, but if I find the information somewhere else, I put it in my journal.

DAY 7 – Sunday, July 7 Golubac, Serbia – Tour Fortress and Scenic Sailing: The Iron Gate

This mornining G lost his shoes. He was frantic. Pulling suitcase out from under the bed. Shoes were in the closet.
I need calm. I had to leave the room and write in the hallway.

Hier night Niki told us we should go up to the roof. I had been up there 5 hours already. Not interested. Tired.
I was sweaty and wanted to shower so G got huffy and said he wasn’t going either. Whatever.
He asks if I am mad at him and I just wanted a shower. I do come across as rude and he had to brush it off to keep going.
Shower was great. And I washed my blue paisley dress.
Took a 10 mg pill for second time on this trip. Same result. Scared him to death. I made the loudest noises that he has ever heard and he could not wake me up.
Sorry G, but that is why we sleep in separate rooms. And do NOT wake me up, just push me to roll me over. At least I got an excellent night of sleep.

Pauline looking for her husband at the boat ramp. “He doesn’t like it when I leave him” Yup. I can relate.
G want to follow me around like a puppy dog – for a good reason because he doesn’t know what is going on most of the time.
He dropped his key card in the fortress. We got another one made at the front desk.

11 am Sunday. We will be on an airplane this time in a week. 7 more days of traveling.
I do a count down so I can look forward to when this is over. I have not finished reading the Power of Now. I need to absorb what I am seeing right now.
Finally I am overhearing a political conversation.
I did not drink any liquor today and that was not hard. I kept drinking water. I was on roof from about 1 to 6:30. Talking, reading, writing.Many nice people.
For Kate: my address so she can mail coins to me. She is a certified story teller.

I met Marilyn from Australia
Paula (black woman) asked me about the Belgrade guide who encourages travel. Have an open mind that people have different opinons.
Sunday dinner was a special buffet. We sat next to Very nice couple form Australia. She a university person – still working.
DAY 8 – Monday July 8 Vidin, Bulgaria

DAY 9 – Tuesday July 9 Ruse, Bulgaria City Tour

Tuesday. Finally. hier. I had wine at lunch which set the mood. We missed children’s presentation and missed the briefing on what to do tomorrow when we get off the ship.
Wow feeling a little rough today from all the wine hier. So none today. No beer either!
G looking at my printed itinerary in the room. He asks “We’re in Bucarest now, right?” (a yes/no question).
I said you have the schedule in your hand is that what it says? G: Yes, we are in Bucarest.
I said OK, knowing that we are really in Ruse, Bulgaria

Rose lotion for Judy, Pris, Carolyn.
I can’t believe G can’t read the schedule or retain the information. Scary to think of him here on his own. But lord knows he would bumble through it.
I am a bit sore from . hier. I can’t even remember what we did. Definitely released some tension between us. Every bit of tension is a reminder that I have made the right decision not to marry, not to move in together. I don’t get a sense of peace and calm. Just counting the days before I am home.
Charlie and Nancy (PhD’s) Addis Abba Nanacy says I need to go to Ethopia.
Geez, I am tired of talking.
Charlie has his own business. His advice he announced to the men at the table was to “listen, listen, listen” I’ve about given up with G. He will not change and I have to accept that.
I get a yes/no question, then he starts talking some more.
Very fortunate that stef shares Paul. He know how to listen.
At dinner I was beside Charlie. He listened. I told Charlie what G would do: ask a question, ignore the answer, then G starts talking.
Yup, I pointed out when G asked Nancy a yes/no question then G took over/dominated the talking with what he wanted to talk about. Charlie noticed.
My throat is sore on the right side. From talking maybe. From covid maybe.
Charlie/Nancy son in a low (or law?) building . Making it a 12 story unit in Ethiopia.
G exchanged phone info with Charlie and the nice couple from Los Angeles. He is a CPA and attorney. She retired art teacher. Each artwork tells a story – like my writing? Never imagined that about art. Turn the story in your head then put it on the canvas. She is definitely a good art teacher because she explained some things to me that were enlightening.
G tried to teach Debbie how to paint a watercolor when we were in Aruba. She ended up just watching him do it.
I took a 5 mg sleep pill at 9 pm.
At Ruse Charlie told G to tell the guide he and Nancy would walk back to the ship.
Thank goodness I heard Charlie say that. The guide was counting people and waiting and G didn’t say anything.
So I told the guide about Charlie and Nancy.
G didn’t realize how important that message was. I don’t even think G remembered that Charlie asked him to relay the message.

DAY 10 – Wednesday July 10 - Bucharest, Romania - Disembark -Bucharest City Tour

They already pushed our beds together. I wanted 2 twin beds because I wanted my own duvet.
When there is one bed, there is only one duvet that you have to share and that is impossible to wrap around you.

DAY 11 – Thursday July 11 Bucharest, Romania Fly to Istanbul, Turkey Check into hotel

5 am wake up call is set up o n the TV. So at 5 the TV slowly fades on to bright light. Very impressive. Also there was a separate door/room for toilet and small sink and telephone on the wall. Never seen a separate toilet room. The other bathroom had a shower and a huge tub. That is also unusual. Marriott is a nice hotel.

not gonna lie. Kinda wish we were flying home today. I’m just going to have to take control and really lower my expectations. He’s getting frazzled a lot. I even do that to him in Atl. It’s worse here. I am not enjoying it.
5 am wake up call. It is 5:50 were packing he says.”I’m really not good at this” Yup. I am carrying his passport. I do not want to be like that when I am 77 years old. It is definitely possible to have too much stuff.
I’m humored how he has a long sleeve top. He is carefully folding it and will not put it it in his personal item bag. Coming here the top was separate and he tried to keep it folded but it never went into the bag. OK right.
He has an irritation on his leg. It is above his sock. Sunburn maybe. He says it’s a rash. He is going to wait another day then maybe take his antibiotic pills. Really. I asked him not to take the pills cuz it ruins your immune system and could he wait till we were on our way home to take it. He said no. “I don’t want to lose my leg”. Really.

I need to damper down myself and not be so hard on him. I cannot expect him to use all of his brain most of the time.
Don’t be rude or mean just expect he is like a kid trying to have fun and doesn’t have fun unless I have fun. I’m not feeling this travel thing anymore. Really.
I need to change home page to "Suzanna Travelled". Ok, I took an Immodium. Sitting here in Bucharest airport .
We checked into our flight then we went thru security then we stopped at toilet. I asked him to watch my bag so I could go first. OMG. Yup. Need the Immodium.
I think I will take advil also. Enuf said about htat. OK on the airplane now.
He is still walking on broken glass around me. I would not tell him about my loose bowels because I did not want to share that information with the people around us. I just told him not to worry. My pills will kick in soon.

We were in the Exit row. I had to show him how to put the screen up, put the tray up.
His long sleeve top is still separate from all luggage and it is laying on top of his carry on bag which is laying on top of his suitcase. Interesting configuration.

In the room, G says “Now you have my money belt, right?” Me: “No, I do not have your money belt” Frantic searching and he finds it in his little bag.

Incredible dinner. Went to 14 floor. I had chicken burger and that was the best meal that I’ve had for the entire vacation. The fries were perfect. Aoli sauce, red cabbage slaw. Perfect.

we sat there forever because he never asked for the check.

Poor thing. He is looking for the itinerary paper that we got earlier today. It has the emergency phone number and I told him not to loose that to put it in his wallet. Well, he lost it.
I had to tell him what we were doing tomorrow so he’s know what to wear. Women cover hair, shoulder. Men and women cover knees

DAY 12 – Friday July 12 Istanbul, Turkey Topkapi

We had quite a scare this monrning. He “lost” his AmEx. Another frantic search and it is found. I wrote down last four digits of his card and the phone numbers in case we had to cancel it.

No alcohol for me today.

Last night at dinner we really confused the wait person. I made him order dinner first so he would not copy my order.
Then I ordered my dinner, then I ordered a beer. He ordered the same beer.
Then I changed my beer order to a different beer. Then he also changed his beer to the different beer that I ordered.
So then I changed back to my original beer order. Why does he do that?
It was a test. Now I had proof that he just copies me.

I had a revalation and I realized that he did that on our first date. I thought we had decided to order the same Chicken Pot Pie and now I realize that he just copied what I ordered.
It is really starting to irk me that he does that with pictures also.
If I take a photo of something, he takes a photo of exactly the same thing.
That irks me because when we combine our pictures, I have to sort through the photos and delete duplicates.

1:30 in the hotel room now. I ate my cheese sandwich that I got from breakfast.
I feel like I’m in a much better mood today than any other day because we have one our tour this afternoon of the spice market and 2 hour cruise that ends at 6:45.
Tomorrow is the last tour of the trip, then pack to go home. Actually looking forward to that.
DAY 13 – Saturday July 13 Istanbul Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Hipp, Grand Bazaar

A common occurence: He mades a comment about something. I had no idea what he was talking about. It evolves into a clarification discussion like so many of our conversations.
He finally just said “I shouldn’t have said anything”. Yup. Bingo.
But another thing he said is “You don’t ever have to travel with me again”.
Oops. I was being way too harsh. I need to let up. But I cannot seem to change and G can’t change. I need to work on how I react.

But dinner last night, it was just the two of us and he actually let me talk! It is the end of our vacation and he finally ran out of words!
He realized that I have already heard all that he has to say. And since we’ve been together (joined at the hip) for 2 weeks now he has nothing new to tell me.
So I got to talk. I could tell he was straining to stay quiet.
At some dinners I have told stories about something that happened in Oklahoma that he had never heard before.
When I told about getting dad up, lifting him after I got the pickup stuck and he had to get the tractor to pull the pickup out of the hole. G said he had never heard that story before.
Yup, right. Because he doesn’t let me talk on our phone conversations.
Anyway. So I told him about the phone call with Aunt True.
The next day I thanked him for letting me talk. Yes, I thanked him. Is he learning to listen? No I think not. He has just run out of things to talk about.
Well, I said I wasn’t going to drink, but I did. To be expected….
Update six months later: During our phone conversations onw he asks me if there is anything I want to talk about. I appreciate that question, but what happens is I say one short phrase and that is all. Like "I went to a basketball game yesterday" He makes a comment about what I said, then I'm not sure how to respond to his comment so he continues talking. I don't want to interrupt, or rather, it is easier for me not to interrupt, so I don't get to say anything else about the short the phrase that he allowed me to utter. That is a bit frustrating for me, so now when he asks me if have anyting to say, I have opted to just say no.

DAY 14 – Sunday July 14 Fly from Istanbul to Atlanta

We were on the bus, then the bus drove next to the curb and stopped. He could wait and listen for instructions, but instead he asked me: “Do we get off?” Me: “Do you want to see Haga sophia and Blue mosque?” “Yes” “Then you better get off”

After the bazaar we were bazaared out. Sat for a bit. Then walk towards the meeting point. We are almost there and I ask him what time are we supposed to meet and where.
He got the time right at 3:10 and said the place was the rug shop. Totally wrong on the place.
He said “I’ll notice the place when I see it”. Well, we had already walked past it!
He wanted to walk further up the street or back to the rug shop. Clueless. Totally clueless.
I pointed him back to the cafe meeting place. Then he has the gall to claim he directed us to the place. Shit like that annoys me.
I guess I may have been actiing upidy and I shouldn’t act like I’m so great that I know everything.
But it is dangerous if he gets separated from me. I have serious concerns he would not find his way back to the hotel.
We have to bejoined at the hip for his safety. Clueless. Well, we fly home tomorrow. I’ll have a shot when we get back to the hotel. DAY 15 – Sunday July 14 Arrive home 7:50pm.

Sunday, very relaxed getting ready ready to go. Bags out at 10:30 departure at 11.
I need to remain relaxed so I don’t snap at him any more for the trip home.
I am glad to be going home. Also glad we did not do the dinner cruise last night.
Had a nice dinner on the 14 floor. He got the chicken burger. I ordered it the first night we got here and loved it. Fries were perfect again. He also thought it was very good.
We sat there for an hour after we finished. He put his Am Ex card on his wallet on the table but he never asked for the check.
They brought more nuts and olives. He still didn’t ask.
After a long, long time of waiting he realized they are not going notice his card for payment, so he just got up with his card and walked over to the register to pay as he hovered over the guy.

So he and I got onto the elevator and the lady asked if we had heard about Trump getting shot.
She said “They shot and killed the guy that shot Trump.”
I don’t know any more about it, but I suspect that incident will boost Trump’s rating for the upcoming elections.
Republican convension starts today and he is supposed to announce his running mate tomorrow Monday.

It is very difficult for me to talk to someone with G next to me.
I cannot ask my questions and I cannot hear the answers before G interrupts and asks something like “Are you having a good day? Yes?” When I was trying to find out about a bargaining experience in Hong Kong.
So every time G starts talking to someone , I slowly walk away with my writing pad.
I write to escape. I write so I don’t verbalize all this stuff.
I write for my therapy. I write to have this to read later about my frustrations and to be prepared for all of these same frustrations if I go on another trip with G.
Then he’ll be even older and even more forgetful. Then It is more work for me. I’m changing my web site home page to Suzanna Traveled.

I really do have the best guy in the world. How did I get so lucky. But he does have these moments of brain loss….

OMG this is going to be brutal. 8 more hours left on this plane.
He is across the aisle. His arm has been in constant motion taping the screen for over an hour.
I think he is looking at the description of every single movie offered.
I have to shut my left eye so I do not see the same movement.
I cannot read my book because the movement is too distracting.
During final packing he wanted to bring the pizza box back to Atlanta. Whaaat??!?? That seems really odd to me.
He had room in his suitcase for it. I convinced him that the doggies would smell the food and he would be searched and the box confiscated. That was weird.

Sunday night. We are home.
He stayed at my house. No . In the morning I moved from my office twin bed to the master king bed with him.
Maybe we could have S? But that was dashed when he got a horrible cramp in his calf. Probably from being dehydrated.

That morning I transferred 1,700 picture files from his phone to my PC. I had to delete folders on my PC to make room for the pix.
He had JPG and an associated MOV file. Took up three times the space.
He returned to his house late morning (to miss the traffic). Dad saw his car was gone then called me.

While I was on the phone with dad/paul, he called. Paul was in the middle of a very complicated explanation of the land research that he was doing so I let G call go to voice mail.
G said he left his eye drops over here and asked if he could come over around 11 am tuesday. OK. I could not find them anywhere in my house. He finally found them in his dirty sock bag.

We did not play guitar on Tuesday. Talked to Judy a very long time.
Tuesday nite (after 2 glasses of wine) I called him to see if he got the big tree branch off his deck.
We reverted right back to how our phone conversations were before the trip. I should have expected that.
He does ask what else is new, and what did I do that day, but I can only verbalize one short phrase before he takes over the conversation.
All I wanted was to get off and end that phone call. It left me feeling very frustrated that it progresses like that. I sure it is partly my fault.
I need to ask permission to talk, but I don’t do that. I’d rather just stay quiet while he talks and hang up.
I’m glad I have Judy to talk to. Paul and Dad also did a great job of listening to my stories. G is not capable of doing that.

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