I spent another day mostly shirking working, but this time I had a good excuse. I took Mom to her follow-up appointment with the eye doctor this morning, and then I stayed with her for most of the day. She probably didn't technically need me there, and I didn't really do anything, but it made one of us (me) feel better, at least.

She is still getting over having surgery yesterday, not feeling up to her old self. And she's still a little worried about whether it will turn out to help her vision, even though the doctors have assured her that she's doing as well as they expected this soon after the implant. She wishes she could see better already, but there are reasons (medication, mostly) that she'll have to wait a few days.

Anyway, we sat and talked for most of the day, and I didn't leave until I started worrying about whether the Boss might have left a message, or someone might have left a message for him with me. So I headed home, and of course I'd just missed a call.

He's on the road for the next week, so I can't always call him back. He seems to travel through a whole lot of canyons. I'll be talking away, assuming he's listening, and out of the blue he'll say, "I can tell someone's on the line, but I can't hear a word you're saying. Try again in ten minutes."

Other than relaying a few messages that had been left on my machine, I didn't do much to earn my paycheck today. I'll have to make up the time over the weekend if I can, because it's October, one of those months that has a ton of things, mostly taxes, due by the end of it.

Yes, I'm distraught because the Giants wasted a dramatic comeback and lost to the Mets tonight. When the phone rang after J.T. Snow's homer in the bottom of the ninth, I knew it was Eric calling from Martinez.

We stayed on the line with each other, watching the game, almost until the end. It wasn't quite like being at Pacific Bell Park, but it was better than watching alone. It was a great game, but neither one of us liked the ending.

I really must get some work done tomorrow. The Giants don't play, so that will help. I need to get up on time and force myself to stay at it until the pile in my inbox gets significantly smaller. It's so easy for me to get distracted these days, and I can't afford to lose another day.

That doesn't mean I regret spending today with Mom. If I were more efficient in the way I use my time day in and day out, I'd easily be able to take a day like this without guilt.

And the Boss certainly doesn't mind that I take time off for family obligations. When I told him I might have to take Mom to another appointment Monday, if she can't drive by then, he said, "Take her anyway. Just insist that she let you drive." Which I thought was rather decent, for all the complaining I do about him.