1:52 p.m. - 2007-08-02
should I be sorry?
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Yes, I am ok. I am still a bit sore and my upper arms ache as I must have jammed them from my elbows to my neck when I landed on them on Monday. My knees don't hurt too much and I am walking most of the time without a limp!
And .......
NO, the pet shop did nothing for me. In fact, I realized later that the manager hustled me right out of the store before any other customers came in, sat with me on a bench in the atrium of the Mall and never once asked what he could do to make it "right". I, being a former claims adjuster, was very much aware of what he did. I made sure I could move both my arms freely (even though it hurt) and made sure I touched both my elbow areas to be certain there were no loose bones or fragments or broken skin before I left the store. I also pointed out the wet floor on more than one occasion although I did not insist on filing any accident report.
And no, most stores don't automatically offer any medical assistance.....it is covered under their liability insurance but they are not going to put the idea into anyone's head that there could be a claim filed. I was very aware of that and was sure I was going to be fine before I left. I should have pretended I could take a picture with my cell phone before I left, though! And I should have asked for all their names...but I was shaken up and just wanted to get to my hair appointment in 15 minutes at the other end of the Mall.
So....moving on.
I received an e-mail from my sister, B. She feels that M & I basically ignored her while I was visiting and is hurt. While I am very sorry she feels that way, I don't agree. She had taken some days off from her job (and this does use up her vacation time) with the impression and probably the intention of spending time with us. However....after she picked me up from the airport (and in a very nice car that her friend drove) and I took them to lunch as a "thank you", she and her friend drove me to M's home. They waited with me until M returned from an audition she had to take her son to for his music camp the next week. That was on Saturday.
B. told us that she felt she was coming down with something and stayed away from us on Sunday...which was very thoughtful since M. is still recovering from Mono.
B. stayed home on Monday. I guess she was still feeling ill. Tuesday, B bought her puppy over to M's house, we played with the dog, talked and visited. M. took another long nap because she was so tired. B. had to work Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, we picked her up at her apt in Ft. Worth, all three of us went to lunch, drove to OK to the Winstar Casino, and after a few hours, we took B. home, stopping at a restaurant for a great dinner before we dropped her off. All in all, we had a good time. B. doesn't have much money to spare so we could understand that dropping money into a slot machine was not a good way to spend her time. And we did ask her if she wanted to do something else instead of the casino before we even went there and she wanted to go.
B. told us that she might be taking her friend out to dinner on Saturday so we didn't try to make any plans with her. M & I thought that B. made other plans on Sunday because we heard nothing from her. On Monday (another day she took off work), she came over, we went to Kohl's and a shoe store because B. wanted to look around, had lunch and returned to M's house because M. was extremely tired and feeling light headed. B and I talked for a couple of hours and even though she had been invited to a home cooked meal for dinner by M.... B chose to go back home to check on her puppy and get ready for work the next day. No problem. M. slept about 4 hours and then M & I watched TV and had dinner.
Tuesday, M. had her children (they spend July with their father but he let them come over because I was visiting) and we ran errands involving the kids. Wednesday, M & I had planned on driving to Dallas to visit a cousin but due to the explosion which shut down the major interstates; we were forced to take an alternate route. There was a huge accident on that highway so we decided we shouldn't continue on to Dallas and canceled our visit. We went to the grocery store and then back to M's. Thursday, M. had her kids again and more errands to run on their behalf.
Friday the visit to a cousin in Dallas was rescheduled. B. was invited but chose not to go with us. She mentioned seeing us on Saturday. When we got back home, we e-mailed her that we were thinking of going back to the casino and had an invitation to have dinner and spend the night with M's boyfriend because he lives 15 mins. from the airport as opposed to over an hour from M's house. My flight was at 6 AM which meant I had to be there by 5 AM and the thought of driving through lots of traffic after getting up at 4 AM was not pleasant.
We could not contact B. by cell phone because she had let the service run out and we were not aware that she had a house phone. We really thought she would pickup the e-mail and see what we had planned, call us if she wanted to have lunch first or suggest something else we would all do together. (because we didn't think she would want to go to the casino). We waited until noon to leave, never hearing from B. M. had her cell phone with her in case B. called. She didn't. We went to the casino, stayed a few hours, did some errands on the way to M's boyfriend's place. Went to a restaurant and back to his apt. B. could have joined us for dinner but I don't think B. wanted to be with M's boyfriend.....
so, out of 2 full weekends, 5 days off work and another Saturday (10 days in all), all three of us were together 4 days and B. feels it is our fault.... B. reads this blog and will probably have her own feelings on this. I have sent her two e-mails and discussed my side of it and I have apologized.....
I think there could be fault on all sides but I know M and I did not try to shut her out at all. The last week, we had to reschedule our trip to Dallas from Wednesday to Friday, knowing B. did not want to go and even thinking that B. would not want to go to the casino again. M & I were trying to make plans in advance and just waiting to hear what B. wanted to do, if anything, was not working for us. M and I wanted to return to the casino and it was the only time we could go....BUT we would have been willing to change our plans if B. had just asked us if we would consider something else.
So....what are your thoughts? And B.....I hope this doesn't make you think I am pushing you away...I am not...I need some clarification from people who are not emotionally involved in this.
