Monday, May 23, 2016

Tow truck

It was a challenging day that almost ended with a call for a tow truck. 

First, I got up late, exhausted from the migraine.  I did my God Time later.  I verified that yes, my cycle had started.  I decided to try using the menstrual cups again.  Just because I had a bad experience last year when the neighbors were having a party doesn't mean it was the cup's fault. 

So far, so good, on that.  I wore a pad for backup, which I didn't need. 

I took my shower and got dressed.  I wore a turquoisy solid tshirt with my capris. 

We went to work.  We had to pick up the Wonder Twins again, severely autistic and poorly-cared for twins of adult age. 

"Is he shitty?  He's walking like he's got a shitty diaper" our driver exclaimed.  "I hope he ain't shitty." 

He wasn't, or if he was I didn't smell it. 

The other one wasn't riding today. 

We got to work and I began stocking.  I found a note in my area of the stockroom.  Occasionally, the other vendor will make a purchase for me with the wholesale company.  They have a $500 minimum order and it helps reduce their load.  They also have a minimum case count and it helps reduce that.  All they have to do is accept it and sell it to me when I come in. 

I had written a note politely asking them to buy coffee cups and hot chocolate, please.  Someone wrote a huge NO across the note and put it back in my area.  OK.  I guess "we" are in a cranky phase. 

I pretended I hadn't seen it and did my usual light chatter to the other vendor.  If he was trying to bait me, I wouldn't bite, and if he was feeling cranky I didn't want to trigger him. 

We can do a "will-call" pickup on our own.  It is more difficult but we will manage. Ron and I agree we will buy 2 cases and keep them in the garage.  We can make room for them. 

I did snacks, which were pretty wiped out.  I was busy with that for a while.  Ron said canned sodas were "dead" and didn't need stocking.  The bottled vendor only needed 2 cases.  I helped Ron replace what he needed. 

We hadn't scheduled a long day, and as it turns out we didn't need it.  We left a little after the other vendor and came home. 

#6 saw us coming home and entering the garage.  I gave him a little wave. 

About 10 minutes later, I looked outside to find his truck parked in our driveway.  Not our street, our driveway. 

No other neighbor would even consider doing this, but for whatever reason he has this attitude "Well, if they aren't using it, I might as well, I need the parking anyway." 

He doesn't understand, a lack of a car does not mean we don't need our driveway.  To the contrary, we need the driveway more than the average person.  Ron can't walk up the driveway from the street, he needs to be let out as close to the house as possible.  We walk, two abreast, with him pushing the walker.  We need space to do that.  A year or two back he had this whole idea he could just park the "schoolbus" 13 passenger van (they use it for a school carpool).   I said no and he nearly had a tantrum on our front porch. 

For whatever reason, he "owns" our property in his head, even though we have owned it for over 12 years.  Admittedly, the house was unoccupied the first 2 years he owned his home, so he probably got used to seeing it as an extension of his property.  I had a hell of a time getting him to leave our property alone. 

I was rightly furious.  I was this close to calling a towtruck and teaching him a very expen$ive lesson.  Park in our driveway?  Get towed.  It wouldn't happen twice. 

He had just seen Ron struggling to walk 20 feet into the open garage. How could he think it was OK to block access? 

I blew up.  I went for my computer, threatening tow trucks and damnation. 

Ron fled outside and talked to the guy, asking him "When are you going to move your truck out of our driveway?" 

"Oh, about 15 minutes." 

Asshole.  If he had said that to me I would have walked into the house and called the tow truck. 

Ron didn't tell me this until later, just that it would be moved shortly. 

"Ron" I told him.  "I am going to take a nap.  If it's still there when I get up I AM calling a tow truck." 

I laid down and took a nap.  Biscuit joined me and slept on my left leg during the entire nap.  I was very careful of him and we both had a good nap. 

#6 was busy trimming limbs off his tree and cutting them up, I guess he got an insurance letter.  He also moved the trampoline away from my bedroom wall to the back fence. 

When I got up, the truck was gone, parked across the street, where it should have been the entire time.  What if Ron got sick and we needed an ambulance?  This guy has a very good idea of Ron's limitations, and, if he's clever, has figured out I must have some too if I'm not driving. 

UGH. 

I did my God Time, admittedly a little angrier than I should have been.  I hope God at least listened to my prayers for other people, and yes, I did pray for #6 in addition to all the rest.

After that we went to Carl's Jr.  We had a regular driver we like.  The van was full after we picked up a slow guy absolutely obsessed with food.  "I want a hot dog, and a hamburger, and fries, and a soda, and..."  He wasn't large but he wasn't thin either, his caregivers are feeding him.

It was funny at first but became very tiresome.  We picked up a lady in a wheelchair who also had a cat, a very old gray and white shorthair.  We talked "cat" for a little bit until the foodie was unloaded.  We were next, finally. 

The cashier was a little confused but got the order and change right. Everyone seemed to be following the health code regulations. 

I worry about Ron because he is bleeding again, not a lot, but any amount is concerning.  He's had two colonoscopies, he is "fine" but it's a strain.  As a result I am a little hypervigilant. 

We ate and had a good time.  We met a missionary who gave me, unasked, $10 for Bibles.  I plan to put that toward Bible Promise books.  Those are always popular when I hand them out and I know mine was a comfort to me after Gravy died.  It was nice to have all the verses about death and rebirth together in the same place.

We had an interesting ride home.  The driver had an easy time picking us up but then went to the local mental hospital (I kid you not), picking up a woman who could have been my sister, Fetal Alcohol, and, as it turns out, a very similar form of bipolar. 

You have to remember 1 in 500 have FAS.  35% of FAS are also bipolar, so 1 in 1428 citizens are both FAS and bipolar.  A rather alarming statistic. 

She was manic, more than a little loud, and rather jittery, but we had an interesting conversation.  She was a little too frank with her symptoms, and, I could tell, scared the crap out of the driver. 

She died laughing when Ron mentioned buying a yellow car, and I said "That's the kind of thing you do when you're manic." 

[sigh]  A little taxing but not a bad kid.  She was probably half my age.  She was not taking lithium and didn't seem to have good symptom control. 

I am just not impressed with what I see from the new stuff.  Give me the old school drugs anytime. 

We got home, the truck was still gone, Ron staggered up the driveway with great difficulty, and we came inside.  He wanted to go out on the catio so we did that for a while.  It was very relaxing sitting there hearing the birds, watching the cats, and talking. 

Happily, I don't have to get up until 6 AM tomorrow so that will be a real treat.  Most work days I get up at something around 3-4 AM. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I listened to a lecture about lithium when i was in college. It has a fascinating past! How something as basic as this salt can give folks such relief. My grandkids adore Carls jr here it is their" go to " fast food. Seems well prepared and healthy for a fast food joint .

Husband on board for the kitty/ kitties ( he always was but we had not said " lets do it outloud yet! !yay!
He gave me the " let me see Heather's catio again and where did you want to put it? "

I let our rescue groups know.
Short story you will like i bet

10 years ago a cop pulled a black and white pit puppy out of a drug den , gave him to a truck driver who got him a spot in a cat rescue , he was barely weaned and literally bonded with the 55 kitties waiting for homes ...he STILL PURRS! When you snuggle him he purrs as close to a kitty as a big floppy dog can purr. We tried to contact her a few years ago for an update on him but she has long moved.

He adores cats we lost our other dog and best friend a couple of years ago and he grieved so much we had to put him on prosac he wouldnt come out from under the covers in his bed .

He is fine but so needs company and we really want a kitty, before another dog, a good mouser would be great we live in a wooded .

If i ever write my comments too long just let me know i feel a kindredship, but no hard feelings if i blab too much

Anonymous said...

Wow what a jerk your neighbor is ! what is wrong with asking first?

Heather Knits said...

Comment #2, he knew I'd say no if he asked. Everyone was at work, the street was clear with plenty of parking. He hasn't done it since.