Basedeck

Ron's "nap" lasted until 9 PM last night.  When he got up, he was angry at me for "letting him sleep" - I always let him sleep, because his is erratic. 

When I was sick in January, I realized Ron sleeps A LOT.  That is totally normal for a head injury patient.  But he does complain sometimes he "can't sleep", so I don't "bother" him. 

I was talking to my aunt today about the headaches.  She asked if Ron ever gets them.  You saw his head after the accident I told her.  He never gets headaches!  It is astounding.  His head was a bloody pulp.  They literally had to staple his face back together.  He had road rash on his nose.  His forehead was badly abraded and split wide open in a couple of places. 

And he doesn't get headaches.  Astounding. 

I woke up with a mild headache around 5-6 AM.  I drank a Mountain Dew and it abated enough to make life livable.  I went back to sleep until 8, very late for me. 

I was giggling at God last night.  When I set my alarm for 2-6 in the morning, I usually don't have a very bad headache, but if I set it for later, or sleep in, I wake up with a nasty one around 7.  Some of that is caffeine conditioning. 

But I laughed, telling God maybe I should set my alarm for 4 AM on my day off so I wouldn't have a headache. 

Ron was angry I "let" him sleep (he sets an alarm for important things, like an hour before the reservation deadline for paratransit, so I figure if it was important to get up and watch a movie he would set an alarm for that, too.) 

Anyway, he got petulant and threw a $20 at me, "For cab fare" cancelling our trip to Walmart.   It's a cheap trick, because while it's easy to get a trip (or bus ride) to Walmart, it's almost impossible to get one FROM. 

It's impractical to take heavy things on the bus, not to mention walking about a mile total.  Fine if it's just me and my knitting and a couple cold bottles of Diet Dr Pepper.  Not so fine if I have all my crap. 

Cabs avoid that store like the plague.  I literally waited 2.5 hours for a ride one day.  It never came.  I finally called our truck guy to pick me up. 

For obvious reasons, I try to avoid being alone with a man who has expressed interest in the past, but it was unavoidable that day. 

I feel pretty confident about 2 cabs: my Nigerian buddy, and Lou.  I called Lou this morning.  He was at Hobby Airport, probably 50 miles away.  He made it really clear I shouldn't count on him. 

Great.  I didn't call my Nigerian buddy because I didn't want to be dependent on one person to get me home.  I like having an alternate. 

[bad word] 

I ate my breakfast, took my pills, and did my God Time.  I took my shower. I didn't shave my legs due to the welts from the allergy spasm, whatever it is.  It looks as bad as when I had the SSRI reaction.  Worse, actually. 

My body does not like whatever touched me.  Biscuit likes to rub up against it, too.  I would worry I was allergic to Biscuit (I am, but not that severely), but I pet him with my hands and Gravy licks my hands.  My hands are fine. It's not Biscuit. 

OTC cortisone cream is helping.  I am also taking some extra vitamin C. 

I debated what to do.  I decided I really wanted to go to Hobby Lobby.  I left the house at 10.  I caught a bus and ran into the gas station.  I bought a map of Houston (I have it on the wall, flagged with every spot I've done a Bible Handout) and some snacks (consumed). 

I had time to catch the 44 bus.  I rode that up to the mall and transferred to the 86.  I rode the 86 down 1960 to Hobby Lobby.  That took me about an hour and a half, total.  Not bad considering I took 3 buses.  Bad because it was a 5 minute ride in a car. 

Sucks to be crippled.  I wasn't thinking nice thoughts about Ron so I didn't call him. 

I went to Dollar Tree and got some notepads, batteries, etc.  I went to the office supply store and got the little flags I used on the map.  My phone's on the charger, but I'll put up a photo. 

I like having my map on the wall.  I can stare at it and think about my next Handout.   To quote a gospel rapper "Gimme my city". 

Finally, I went to the Hobby Lobby.  I thought it might be fun to get one of those loom knitting things.  I got a small round one and a medium round one.  I wanted to get the rectangular loom set but it was pretty bulky and I was probably taking the bus home. 

I called my aunt and talked to her as I debated the yarn.  I wanted enough for one project, something fun.  I have a couple of things in blue, and as it ended up I got something more girly.  I didn't want pink.  I am not a huge fan of pink.  I have one pink item in my wardrobe, a t-shirt.  I don't wear it often. 

Teal?  Mulberry?  All colors were considered and rejected.  They had some odd colorways, like brown with purple.  I didn't like them much. 

I finally looked at what display builders call "the basedeck" and found some lovely mauve yarn.  Hm.  Silver and mauve?  I planned to make a 2-strand project.  No.  How about cream?  I love cream.  Much better.  I bought 3 each, mauve, and cream.  I also bought some plastic "straights" (14 inch knitting needles) in plastic, a needle sizer, and some crochet hooks.  Total cost for everything was about $50. 

I fled before I spent more money.  It is probably - is - a good thing that it is so hard to get to Hobby Lobby on my own, that Ron would deeply resent me asking him for a ride, and I am "stuck" with a cab ride. 

I considered getting a bike, for about 10 minutes.  I know how to ride a bike.  Then I looked at the way people drive.  One guy at work who does bike, got run off the road by an 18 wheeler not long ago. 

Ron begged me not to go it, as he was deeply worried about my safety.  I had to agree.  If I lived in a small country town I would have a bike, though. 

I would also have a helmet.  I've seen what a head injury can do. 

I walked over to the Starbucks.  I had to use the bathroom.  Some kind of addict came out and I desperately cursed my bladder. 

You know the drug addicts who are smoking off a glass pipe?  And it blows up and cuts their face, around their mouth?  It's not healing well and looks really bad?  Yeah. 

I just prayed I didn't catch it, whatever it was.  Ron called about that time. 

I talked to him for a minute and then got myself a pastry.  I had just missed the bus, walking across the parking lot.  Next one: one hour.  [bad word]

Had I waited, I would have had to depart the bus, walk half a mile to my bus stop, wait, board, disembark, and lug all my crap half a mile home.  I wasn't too excited about that. 

Maybe Lou the cab driver was back in the area.  Praise God he was.  He told me he'd be there in about 15-20 minutes.  I went to the sub shop and bought an incredibly overpriced sub, bag of popcorn, and soda. 

I ate the sub, it was good, but messy.  I dripped sauce everywhere.  I was glad I was going home in a cab.  I looked like I couldn't feed myself. 

It was pretty good but the bacon turned on me, making me queasy for about 30 minutes.  Bacon can do that, as I take my lithium. 

And everything gives me a headache, but it's not just me.  Plenty of people have horrible headache and they don't take lithium, either. 

Lou came, I was delighted.  We were home in, yup, 5 minutes.  I gave him a generous tip and told him "It was worth it to get home so fast".  He didn't argue.  Besides, you reap what you sow.  If I'm sowing cheapness and attitude what am I going to get the next time I call him? 

Ron was upset I didn't go to Walmart.  I told him if he wanted me to go he would have to take me, Lou had been out of area.  He made trips to take me tomorrow. 

I need to get more soda and make a deposit.  It's also another ethics lesson.  When I checked my pharmacy receipt they only charged me for one bottle of salt tablets.  I have to pay for the second. 

I took my meds and a nap.  I had a very refreshing one.  I was worried because I had taken it so late. 

I took the photo:

I think I need to focus more on Southwest and Northeast.  Maybe Southeast. 

Ron was in a better mood when I got up, he's focused on the election.  I sorted out my new stuff and put it in the organizer items I have. 

Ron's new bed base arrives tomorrow.  I need to wash his sheets and perk it all up for him.  I have some nice tropical scented fabric softener. 

I think he's going to love his "new" bed.  The old one, the first bed I ever bought, is over 15 years old.  He says the mattress is fine, and it feels OK when I sit on it to talk, but the cats have shredded the boxspring. 

Torbie's upset at me, she caught and brought home 2 separate grasshoppers.  I took them away and put them back out. 

#6 did up their yard today, they are having a party this weekend.  Ron and I plan to avoid it by working.  That's why I keep a calendar of their get togethers. 

Forewarned is forearmed.