Oh, the damned frustration!

Not knowing what is happening to 'the Venerable' after twelve hours, I got really itchy.

And thanks to the time difference, I REALLY can't expect anyone to be ON it 24 hrs a day, I just cannot.

Ignoring the fact that most of my family members don't really like me....

So I remembered the saying 'Google is your friend.' That is the golden rule of the internet age, believe me.

So I went spelunking. I know 'the Venrable' is covered by the VA, so it was logical to call there in my old home. They have some scary stuff on their answering machine about limits, and I didn't like what I heard, believe me.

And it went ON and ON, and ON... 'press number 1 for this', and so on and so on... but at least it was four choices. Four was my number. And another recording, and finally there was a real live person on the phone. (Without an Indian accent... as in India... who knows what gets outsourced these days...)

But he had a very strong Southern US accent, which was odd to me.... (Wha's he doing in New Hampshire, hey?) It was just a passing impression...

So I explained who I was, and why I was calling, and wanted to know if my father was in their hospital. Long story short: he isn't. BUT... he was very polite, and said to wait a few minutes, and he found him. Even tho I didn't know the last four numbers of his social security card.

BTW... we have easy ones. You memorise the first four numbers, and the rest is your birth date, day month year. Good deal. Just saying.

So he gave me the number of the hospital he IS in, and away we went.

His hospital answered immediately, which is cost conserving. I very politely asked if he were there, and if I could speak to him. The young woman was very nice, and connected me to his room. Except he didn't pick up, so he was out of the room for tests or sleeping.

Will try again later.

The Age of Instant Gratification is really horrible, you know? You are four thousand miles away, haven't the means to fly immediatly to where you would like to be, and there you hang.... Out in a limbo that is six hours ahead of what is happening, so your window of opportunity to connect is very very limited.

I will try a little later.

And I wish to very deeply thank the nice people who have become friends over the past years via the 'internets', and my rocks of Gibralter, my cousins.