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At long last, the day has arrived when friend Michael, his lovely mother and sister were due to come over and spend the day. Michael runs the Memmingen City Animal Rescue Center and together with all the mass of animals the family has at home, he is always very busy. But this week he has holiday and at least two months ago the date was set.

Sadly the only day since weeks that it was due to be cold and wet but everything had been organised including the banquet of food they were going to bring with them. However, a WhatsApp message came from Michael overnight that they would be arriving a little late - stress - and couldn't manage to pre-cook.

No problem, quick shop although Angie was on tenterhooks about her father who was due to be released from the hospital today after a simply horrendous month. The story started on 14th September and some will remember my daily rants for quite some weeks. I stopped as it was getting very close to me being locked away for libel and/or murder. Her father was at one stage just hours from knocking at heaven's door. I can't begin to describe all that happened after I stopped ranting on Blip but save to say Angie's total disregard for any rank, position, status saved his life. One cannot believe how many doors she kicked in, phone calls, research, meetings attended and thousands of kilometres she has driven. And another positive benefit, she sorted out some of the inter-family difficulties too.

Today Sepp was due to be moved by ambulance (he can't yet walk) from hospital to a temporary care home before starting a residential rehab in a couple of weeks. She would have liked to have been there. Very early morning the hospital phoned her and it was clear they were likely to mess up even the simple moving task. While on the phone, her mother phoned to say she was in unbelievable pain and couldn't move or get up. Mother and father are divorced but live in the same town. Mother's second husband is in the first stages of dementia and cannot do anything not even dial a phone number.

That did it. She phoned Michael and cancelled the meeting, phoned the Emergency services (we live 100km from mother's home) and set off at lightning speed. In the car, she managed to talk to the emergency doctor who arrived within 10 minutes and when told mother would be taken by ambulance to a hospital, she said under no circumstances to the one her father was in because of the medical incompetence. The doc said he had to get her to the nearest one and that was that hospital!

Somehow she managed to get to her mother's home, picked up stepfather and dashed to A&E at Fürstenfeldbruck. Inside she learnt her mother wasn't there and was told to contact the ambulance service herself to find out what was going on! Naturally, ages finding the right number which was constantly engaged. She did though manage to quickly visit father waiting for his ambulance!

Finally found out mother had been taken to Dachau hospital (I won't discuss the irony of this here but on last Sundays Blip you might find out). So off they set for a 30-minute drive only to find mother in a wheelchair and causing mayhem (mother and daughter have some common DNA) as they had told her to go home and come back next week when they would take a look at her innards. They would order her a taxi. She had no mobile and no idea where Angie was.

I won't repeat what Angie said to the docs there and I simply can't believe their "thinking". Finally, after at least forcing them to give her at a days supply of ordinary painkillers - naturally GP closed on Wednesdays - Angie had no choice but to drive mother and stepfather home, go shopping for food for them, cook and get them sorted as best as possible.

She then went to the care home where father had now arrived and together with half-brother Peter, tried to sort him out. Nothing was prepared - no bed in the room, 3 out of 4 light bulbs broken, the bedside table broken and a management that couldn't care a monkey's. While Peter dashed home to get a table, lamp with a switch, TV. and some basic homeware such as plate, cup and knife, Angie tried to sort out how he was going to do something simple as getting to the loo. Simply unbelievable. Looks like one can't expect anything more than bed and main meals.

Fast forward to Angie coming home after 12 hours on the go. How she didn't collapse I don't know and still found time to speak to her mother on the phone to check she was OK and what needed to be done tomorrow. This saga will now continue as she tries to find a proper hospital that can do the tests needed. I am 1000% sure that the treatment of both father and mother would have been light years different if they had been in our local hospitals and care homes and just maybe we might arrange something here for her mother and in particular that stepfather can stay with us as he is incapable of being alone. My personal feelings towards mother-in-law have to take second place and I have no problem with step father-in-law.

All day I was thinking about what must be going on it was made worse by the odd phone call and Whatsapp message but managed two good walks with Luna despite the drizzle and depressing weather. Tomorrow the sun is due to be back. I hope that is a good omen!

And todays' Blip!
Last week a friend posted on FB that she was blown away by reading the book written by a black American about her life as a household helper in a white family. Given my background place of birth and growing up in a very colonial Trinidad, I could see some personal interest and a few days ago ordered used versions of the book and film (someone had recommended this also on the FB comments) but I went for the English versions. today they arrived and are both in excellent condition. I tested the DVD quickly, the book seems to be unread. So I do at least have something to keep me occupied.