February 20, 2011:

Her need to be wheedled.

Calls, ready to visit, I'm happy, have missed her, looking forward. Calls again in ten minutes, I wasn't joyful enough the first time, she needs to be persuaded to visit, I have to work to draw it out of her. Calls ten minutes after that, cancels, wants an hour of convincing. Calls a final time because she's missed her train.

Nowadays with cells phones this would have been so much worse. There'd be drama from doorstep to doorstep.