Storage unit

Wednesday I had off.  I had been reading in one of my natural medicine books and come across "potassium citrate".  It looked very promising, pain relief, infection control, over the counter? 

I recalled seeing some kind of bottles of "citrate" at the drugstore.  I figured odds were good I could find it a couple miles down the road. 

I did my God Time, took a shower, and headed out the door, my hair still wet.  It was pretty cold but not overly so. 

I headed to the bus stop and waited for a while, about 20 minutes, before my ride arrived.  I disembarked at my stop and walked past a nice dormant vacant lot.  It was very pretty, in a dead winter way. 

I got to the drugstore.  I quickly found magnesium citrate, which is apparently a laxative.  I can't imagine anything worse than using a laxative during a bladder infection.  I couldn't find any potassium citrate, and the pharmacy tech was "busy" with a pretty girl.  I got a few snack foods, the magnesium (maybe I got it wrong) citrate, and some diet decaf soda. 

I went to the supermarket drug store.  The haughty pharmacist kept telling me it was in the vitamins.  No, it wasn't, and it is prescribed so he was wrong! 

Most Nigerians are awesome, but I have met a lot of very haughty Igbo (a tribe).  He was Igbo. 

Frustrating.  I got some herbal teas and went to McDonald's, bought some hamburgers to go.  While I was in line one employee was yelling about the empty soap dispenser.  I was called to the register. 

"By the way" I grinned "I'm with the health department."  Her face collapsed in an interesting fashion.  I laughed, so did she.  Health department rules say you always have to have soap in all dispensers, and they usually visit during a rush like I did. 

I got my food, and lived, eating the burgers, so clearly OK. 

I went back home, ate my burgers, and took my meds.  I keep getting confused on whether I have taken my antibiotic yet.  I have had to take it out and count it, more than once. 

So, I put the antibiotics and the other medication in my pills-of-the-week organizer.  It's pretty full now. 

I also did some research on potassium citrate, found it is usually prescribed, but small doses are available over the counter.  I will try that. 

I was also told D-Mannose is a very good supplement for bladder infections.  When "Sara" and I met, she was having a pretty rough life.  She stayed with us for about a month and we taught her some beginning computers. 

She didn't tell Ron - or he didn't tell me, she had a debilitating disability and was not on benefits.  We eventually had to ask her to move out before the landlord threw all 3 of us out in the gutter. 

Anyway, she moved on, had a child, got married, had more kids, picked up a stepdaughter along the way.  She divorced and started her own business. 

She has done far better than I hoped.  She is mature and some would say "too" responsible, taking on challenges that would send "normal" screaming.  Anyway, one of her daughters has bladder trouble and she advised it. 

I did some research (I always do) and it seems legit.  I ordered some. 

I had a horrifyingly high total on my vitamin order.  I still get a little dizzy when I think about it. 

Here's another odd note, I have been crying.  At commercials, at movies.... I don't know whether it is God giving me a more sensitive heart, whacked out brain chemicals, or what.  I find it mildly embarrassing. 

What else?  Well, that was it for Wednesday. 

Yesterday I had to get up early, shower, and go to the warehouse.  Ron wanted more supplies.  He didn't tell me he didn't have a list, he just cobbled something together on the way.  So, in my opinion, we ended up with stuff we didn't need. 

I also had a lot of inventory loaded onto both carts (remember I only have about 30 square feet of storage), which I had to move to load the new inventory.  Not the best supply run. 

Oh, and the driver almost went off the road, trying to unwrap a cough drop, scaring the crap out of me.  Why is it so hard to wait until you are at a red light?  He gets very distracted, weaves all over the road trying to grab his cell phone or get a cough drop, and probably wonders why I don't ride with him much outside of work. 

I don't worry about him killing us.  I do worry about him mangling me in some wreck and now I can't work for half a year. 

We even asked him to increase his liability offering on his insurance and he said no. 

Ugh. 

Then I had to get everything into the building and everything stocked.  I wasn't too original in the pastry offerings but at least they are stocked. 

Since Snack #3 continues to have the "Won't give a nickel's change" glitch, literally holding back the nickel and saying ".05 Credit".  People get so mad about that.  They don't want anyone else to get the nickel. 

It's just a nickel.  You don't have to use the machine.  I always pay it back. 

Anyway, I have fixed it.  Many people put in 75 cents to buy the 70 cent bag of chips.  They don't get their change, sometimes, with #3.  Answer, don't sell 70 cent items, sell cookies instead, 75 cents.  You put in 75 cents, you get your 75 cent item and no change required. 

Trust me, I have had many repairman consultations.  When they are stumped you know it is bad. 

It's a little odd, people expect chips, but the other two machines are full of chips with very few cookie selections.  I think it balances well. 

I got it all stocked and we went to the bank.  That took a while, then we went home. 

Well, I did.  Ron went to buy more liquor.  I reminded him the rectal bleeding stopped when he stopped drinking the apple whiskey.  He concurred, but bought some anyway, so I may anticipate seeing more blood in the bathroom trash can. 

I tried to take a nap but they were pretty loud bringing the liquor.  Now, I get it.  Humanity, in general, doesn't care if I get a nap.  They don't give a flying shit about my fatigue.  I just wish I could impute a couple of days in my head, to them.  It would be a very different outcome. 

After Ron got his alcohol in the house, and the driver left (same guy), I did get some sleep for a while. 

I was worried #6 might have another party.  The "refugee tents" of awnings topped with black plastic had fallen down and been taken away, but Wednesday he was out there "fixing" the plastic and hammering it into the patio cover.  He clearly has future plans.  It makes very annoying flapping noises but it's not the first time he did something like this.  Years ago, he rigged up something with blue plastic tarps all over the patio, then never even used it.  He left that up for half a year, at least.  I had to learn to sleep with that racket, so I can learn to deal with this. 

It's just inconsiderate, which is a pretty common theme with him.  Happily, around 6, they packed up and left. 

The other neighbors only really act up on the 4th of July, and New Years.  They put on quite the show with things exploding all around for hours.  Then, the other 364 days (leap year), they are quiet. 

Either way, I needed that nap, which I did get.  I got up and ordered a pizza, then watched Lord of the Rings for a couple of hours.  I got really tired and tried to go back to bed, but the constant war zone racket woke me up around 10:30.  I stayed up until about 1, when things started to taper off, and went to bed. 

I woke up early but was able to force myself back to sleep until 8.  I did my God Time and watched some Supernatural, incredibly depressed.  I finally went back to bed around 10 and woke up around noon.  I watched the end of "Journey to the Center of the Earth", avoided "Spider man" and am now watching a Weather Channel series for lack of anything better to do. 

Depression is still pretty bad, but I am getting tired of the front room.  I may attempt some organization.  Right now I feel like I live in a storage unit.