Midnight in Suburbia

NaNoWriMo Day 10: Chapter 10 - Preparing for the Trip

Chapter 10: Daniella
Prepares for trip to Oklahoma

To Pack List

1. Pastel pink business suite with skirt, slacks, and jacket to wear to Doctor's office.
2. Silver locket, with Preston's picture in it, to wear with business suite.
3. Silver watch, with faux diamonds, to wear with business suite.
4. Silver paintbrush earrings to wear with business suite.
5. Video camera.
6. List of questions to ask Dr. Jenkins, type these on computer & printout hard copy.
7. Dress Mom gave me last year for Christmas to wear on Thanksgiving.
8. Recipe for cob salad to make for Thanksgiving.
9. Christmas gifts, since I will not be going to Oklahoma on Christmas.
10. Desert recipe to make for Black Friday dinner.

Daniella sat at her desk staring at her 'To Pack List and nibbling at the pea salad she brought for lunch. "What else," she whispered, "do I need to take to Oklahoma with me." She shook her head, "I know this trip is going to take longer then it should, what with talking to Mom's doctor about her meds and dealing with Aunt Dolly." She sighed, "I suppose if I forget something, I can always purchase it there." Tearing the page off the yellow legal sized pad, she folded it into fourths and put it in her purse.

She took a sip of coffee and considered her next list, the things she had to take care of before leaving for Oklahoma. "Rachel," she said as she flipped on the intercom. "Can you com into my office?"

"Of course, Ms Coffey." A few minutes later, Rachel, carrying a notepad and pencil, entered Daniella office. "What can I do for you?" She closed the door behind her.

"First of all, who's in the reception room?"

"Mr. Logan," Rachel smiled. "He's waiting to see Preston about hosting an art show in December."

"Can you and Preston handle that without me?"

"Yes, I gather you won't be back until after December 7."

"I doubt it," Daniella frowned. "I have to talk to my mother's doctor about her meds. Is there anything I need to do in the office before I leave?"

"Not that I know of, the expense and income spreadsheets are set up for December and I can handle those until you get back. Do you need to take some extra time off the prepare for the trip?"

"No, I need to get a few things done at the house, but that shouldn't cut into my work here."

"Then why don't you finish your lunch before the peas get hot or the coffee gets cold."

"All right, Mother," Daniella smile and Rachel left the room.

To Do List Before Leaving for Oklahoma

1. Get Christmas tree and decorations down from attic.
2. Place tree and decoration in dining room close to kitchen door.
3. Address Christmas cards and get them ready to mail.
4. Label Christmas present I'm taking to Oklahoma with me.

"Maybe I'm being too obessive-compulsive about this trip to Oklahoma," Daniella said as she stared at the 'To Do List' in front of her. "Perhaps I should just let chips fall where they will." She smiled as she remembered the way her trips had gone as a child. Neighter Papa Larry nor her mother planned trips they just set out on the first day of summer and went wherever their intituation or circumstances took them. However, that did not work for Daniella, she had too many bad memories of being stranded in strange or unusual places because of car problems or running out of gas.

"It's better to plane for the unexpected," she said to her pea salad. "That way if there is something unforseen then I can handle it easier then if I had not made any plans at all."

Daniella could not get over the feeling that she was overlooking something important, but she could not figure out what. She had listed almost everything she needed to pack, except underclothes and she did not think she would for get those. However, just to be on the safe side, she took her 'To Pack list' out of her purse and put undergarments and pajamas. "There," she laughed as she put the list in her purse. "That should take care of everything I need to pack, except..." She took the list out of her purse again and put on it in printed capitals 'My Purse'.

"This is getting rediculous," she growled. "I must be letting the possibility of dealing with Aunt Dolly get to me. I swear that would would drive a psychorist insane."

She stared down at the 'To Do List' she could not think of anything else to put on it, but instead of tearing it out and putting it in her purse she added another item. 'Clean spare bedroom in case Mom has to come back to Las Vegas with me.'

"That is an odd statement!" Her brow winkled, "Why would Mom want to come back to Las Vegas? Why would Mom have to come back to Las Vegas? She's always been capable of taking care of herself and her house." Daniella shook her head, but she did not mark out the sentence. Instead, she picked up the phone and dialed Emily's number.

"Hi, Aunt Emily, it's me Daniella."

"I just called to see when the appointment is for me to see Mom's."

"What do you mean?"

"She did!!"

"Now why would she do something like that?"

"I see," she frowned. "Can you call the doctor back and make an appointment for Mom to see her doctor."

"I'll pay for Mom's 'no show' myself, but she has to see the doctor. Especially, since she didn't show up at the last appointment."

"I'll talk to the doctor myself, Aunt Emily. Can you text or e-mail me her number?"

"My e-mail address is [e-mail]."

"Do that and I'll call Mom's doctor the first thing in the morning and take care of the 'no show' charge before I make another appointment." After hanging up the phone, Daniella went back to her 'To Do List'".

5. Clean spare bedroom in case Mom has to come back to Las Vegas with me.
6. Call Mom's doctor to reschedule appointment and pay 'no show' fee.
7. Call Mom and find out why she didn't keep her last appointment with the doctor.
8. Call Mary and have her keep eye on house while I'm in Oklahoma & Preston's with his mother.

Daniella looked at the list of things she had to do before leaving for Oklahoma, she still could not help but think that she had forgotten something, but what. She sighed, drink the cold coffee, then got up and went to the coffee maker in her office. She poured another cup and went back to her desk. There was no use obsessing over this, the letter from Dolly and then Uncle Rodger seemed to play a role, but she could not figure out what. Maybe it was the fact that everything taken together pointed to some other issues then reactions to medication.

"Perhaps," she tore off the yellow sheet, folded it, and put it in her purse. "Mom isn't taking her medication any more. She skipped the last appointment, so that means that she may not have any refills left. Why would she skip an appointment? She was always so vigilant when it came to our doctor's appointments."

Finishing her pea salad, she got up again and went to the refrigerator sitting next to the coffee maker. Opening the door, she removed a small container of soup, then she went to the microwave and warmed it. Taking the soup to her desk she ate it slowly going over everything in her mind. Her mother's actions did not make sense, but she could find no other explanation. The problem had to be either a reaction to medication or lack of medication.

"I wonder when this all started," she frowned. "When was the last time I got a letter from Mama?" A rap sounded on the door, "Come in." Rachel walked into the room with the afternoon mail.

"There is a letter in there from a George Cartwright," she indicated the letter laying on top of the pile. "Is he a new client?"

"No, that's the name of one of Papa Larry's nephews."

"It's marked urgent, but it wasn't sent special delivery."


"Yes, that's Aunt Dolly's oldest son." Daniella sighed, "I suppose he has something to rant about. Thank you, Rachel." The office manager left the room.

Opening the letter, Daniella read it and then began to laugh. "Rachel," she spoke into the intercom. "I need you to contact George Cartwright at Ceaser's Palace. I think he's in room 2221. Make an appointment for him tomorrow morning between 10:00 and 11:30 am."

"All right, which room shall I use for the appointment."

"My office is fine. Apparently, George is worried about both his mother and mine, but I don't want to meet him in a restaurant."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes, if the appointment goes more then thirty minutes or you hear one of us yelling, interrupt and I don't care what excuse you use."

"You're the boss."

George was the only one of Dolly's kids that Daniella could half-way tolerate, but she knew that he could push her buttons just as easily as Dolly or any of her offspring. "I wonder," she said, "if I should bring Mom to Las Vegas and have Ethan either sell or rent the house. At least, if Mom is in Las Vegas she and Dolly won't be at each others throats."

Taking her cell phone out of her jacket pocket, she checked the time. Then she got up, picked up her purse, turned the coffee maker off, and left the office. "Rachel," she stopped at the reception desk. "I've spent the entire morning talking to myself, so I think I'll take off early and go home."

"Daniella," Rachel opened one of the draws and took out an envelop. "I was going to save this until Christmas, but I think you could use it now." She handed the envelop to Daniella.

Daniella opened the envelop and smiled. "I certainly could use a spa visit and probably a make over, but a spa visit tomorrow afternoon will do."

"Why tomorrow afternoon?"

"Because I will need it more after I've dealt with George and whatever problems he thinks Mom and Dolly are having."

"Could it be serious?"

"You mean more serious then normal," Daniella sighed. "Unfortunately, I think so. George isn't the type to panic and he's been dealing with the Crartwright Shupe issue as long as I have. If he thinks there's a problem then it's serious, but I wouldn't tell him I thought so or I don't plan to anyway."