Quarters wrapped in foil for the vending machine

I've been seeing ads for hazelnut chocolates lately, and they always remind me of my father in law. 

He was an illiterate carpenter who had to drop out of school at a young age to work in the fields and support his family.  He got married young and had 3 kids, moved to Houston and had Ron.  Good thing they lived close to the hospital, because Ron had many eye operations. 

When I met him, he was a thin, elderly man with beautiful green eyes.  He had tremors from Parkinson's but still loved building, and gardening.  We had gardening in common.  I was one of the few people who understood and appreciated what he did. 

After we moved to Houston, I used to give Ron's dad a blooming rose bush every Father's day.  He loved them, planted them, and they flourished.  I really cared about him.  Still do. 

Ron and his dad had had conflict over the years, but both were pleased I got along with the "old man".  Then, the accident. 

Most of Ron's family turned against me.  Just hours after the accident, "they" were already plotting to put Ron in a nursing home.  I was saying a bullet would be cheaper and more merciful.  It wasn't a good start. 

Most of them came to the hospital to "visit", yet spent the entire time gossiping with each other in the waiting room, with a cursory upstairs visit to gossip with the nurses.  I had to do a lot of disinformation - they told wild tales, full of inaccuracy, about his life, and his "medical history".  I was furious.  I really did want them out of Ron's life, truth be told. 

I was always happy to see "Dad" though.  He'd sit quietly with me until we could visit, then spend as much time upstairs (in ICU), as I did.  He'd bring me small gifts, too, worried I wasn't taking care of myself: quarters wrapped up in foil, for the vending machine; a half-eaten box of hazelnut chocolates (the ones you see on TV), etc. 

His other children forced "Dad" to choose between them and us, he chose them.  I don't blame them but I do wish I could have "kept" him. 

So, my day.  We were meeting someone for a refund (he never showed), so we slept in.  I got up, did my God Time, showered, did some laundry, did some cleaning, etc.  It is nice to have a little energy.  I'm still tired underneath it all but I suppose I have more will to forge ahead anyway. 

I even took out the 5 gallon bucket of rice.  As you know, I believe in having a little extra food on hand.  However, there's a right way and a wrong way to store something for long term.  Long term, you need a mylar bag and something called an oxygen absorber.  The oxygen absorber has to match the size of the mylar bag, and the product being stored.  Then, once you put the product into it, you have to heat seal it to keep the critters (ie roaches) out.  It's a lot of work but you can store stuff for 20+ years if you keep it at room temperature. 

I did it the wrong way.  I put a bag of rice in a five gallon bucket and sealed it.  Many people think that is fine.  It's not. 

I forgot about it and finally opened it the other day.  I had weird black powder all over the "floor" of the bucket, clearly some bug eggs in the rice had hatched.  Yuck.  So I put the whole bucket out at the curb with the trash. 

The trash took everything - but the bucket.  They took the lid off and left it there.  Maybe they thought it was paint or something (forbidden).  I threw the bucket in the much larger 95 gallon rolling trash can and hopefully they will take that.

I did all that and then we went to the warehouse.  I needed some supplies, Ron needed Diet Coke.  We got that and went to work. 

The snack machines were nearly empty, I had my hands full stocking them.  I used up a lot of inventory and did a not-so-imaginative double row each of plain chips (my best sellers).  I helped Ron.  I did the coffee vending machine.  I did everything I could. 

OK, finally done.  We left. Happily it wasn't raining. 

We had a good ride home with someone I like, and a nice driver.  It got a little crowded in the backseat when we picked up another person but we managed. 

Finally, home.  No nap but I am OK.  I did get to sleep late (7:30 AM!) this morning. 

I wasn't very hungry but I ate some pizza and took my meds.  The very last thing I am going to do is play games with my medication. 

No way, no how.