#480 Blessing

My mom and dad are 92 and 86 respectively.  They sometimes call me at work to look something up on the Internet.  Usually they ask me to print an obituary for someone who lived in another state.  Today, I attempted to help them purchase an electric blanket.  Attempted. 

My parent’s electric blanket bit the dust last week.  I estimate that it may have been at least 20 years old.  Maybe older.  Their requirements for a replacement:  queen size and dual control, meaning there are two heating zones so they can each control the temperature on their side of the blanket.  Shouldn’t be too difficult.  That’s what I usually say at the beginning. 

I spent about 20 minutes spanning two phone conversations during my lunch break trying to purchase a blanket.  I did a quick search for some reviews and found a few.  First site- Target.  But when I looked closer, two controls, only one zone.  Second site – Kohls.  They favor Kohls because my mom has a Kohls charge and constantly has coupons.  I found one blanket that had two controls and hoped it had dual zones (their site is not as descriptive as Target).  Ok, let’s do this.  While on the phone with my mom she gave me her Kohls charge number and the coupon code (it was fun trying to find the code number).  I gave her the color options and told her it was made of fleece.  “It’s free?”  she asked.  No, it’s fleece.  F-L-E-E-C-E. 

I need to pause and say that 1) my mom is hard of hearing, and 2) my office has no ceiling and is in an area with a 30-foot, barrel-shaped ceiling which allows sound to bounce around haphazardly, entertaining random people down the hall. 

I’ll also add that the last time my parents bought an electric blanket (if it wasn’t a wedding gift from 57 years ago), they were probably $50.  Now they are upwards of $200.  I told her the price of the one at Kohls and she was shocked.  “That much?!”  We need more coupons. 

Back to the fleece.  After several attempts to clarify, I heard my dad in the background finally say, “It’s FLEECE.”  Which reminds me of a scene in Christmas Vacation. 

With that settled, I started to place the order.  Kohls charge number entered, I finally got the coupon code.  Then she says, “Well, Monday is Veteran’s Day and I can get another $10 off (my dad served in the Army Reserve) so maybe we’ll wait until Monday.”  Although I think they had to use that coupon in the store, to which they finally decided to go to the store Monday and place an order at a kiosk (can you do that?).    

Let me finish by saying I love my parents and am thankful they are still on this earth.  They have been a blessing to me in ways too numerous to count over the years, so I am happy to help them with anything.  I took some deep breaths during the ordering process, but at no time was I upset.  It’s just funny.  Life situations are funny.  Every time I have a conversation with my mom at work I want to hang up and say to anyone within audio-bouncing earshot, “I’m sorry about that.”  (The last, most humorous, conversation with her was when she called asking for the last name of my nephew’s fiancé.  I must have spelled Bontrager five times, stopping, starting, repeating, laughing inside.  Not laughing at her, mind you, just laughing at the absurdity.  (Why couldn’t he have met a girl with the last name of Smith?)

I know I’m not the only one who helps their parents out in this manner.  (My brother Paul helps them out with their electronic issues.)  It’s the circle of life, right?  Just remember they are a blessing, and it's a blessing to be able to help them out.