"Get me a wooden handle"

I'm still figuring out the new blogger forum. 

I slept OK, but developed a gradually worsening headache.  We had rain today, I think that did it.  I ended up getting up at 5 (alarm was 7) to take some Excedrin.  Biscuit got so excited to see me awake, I went ahead and fed him.  He was thrilled. 

I went back to bed, and Biscuit joined me after a little while.  I didn't really sleep but I rested some, getting rid of the headache (most of it).  I thought about various things. 

The kitchen drain has been slow, I realized, so I thought I needed to run the garbage disposal and use some drain cleaner.  I didn't want Ron flooding the kitchen floor.  He does something with the faucet where he runs it for a while, when he's drinking.  I haven't really watched.  He's paying the water bill, after all. 

I finally got up and took my shower.  Biscuit eagerly begged for his breakfast.  I kept telling him he'd already had it, the greedy beast.  I did some of my God Time and read the label on the drain cleaner. 

I flicked on the switch for the garbage disposal and it didn't work.  That was my problem.  [bad word]  I had visions of another $600 Christmas plumbing bill like I had last year. 

Ron woke up.  I decided to use my good judgment and NOT bring up the plumbing issue right away.  I got Ron ready and we left the house. 

We had the driver who tricked us into buying her the $20 BBQ dinner.  She was taking us to the bank.  Ron tried to see if Chuck would be interested in the trip but he got a gibberish reply.  Maybe Chuck is having another vertigo attack.  I don't know. 

Chuck told me what the doctor is giving him, and I don't agree.  I don't think he should be taking that drug for the problem.  Meclizine would be much better, cheap, and very effective. Instead Chuck is taking something else, not as effective, whenever he gets an attack.  Prevention is a much better method. 

Anyway, the driver wanted to set up her extended family in the rental house next door (the hoarder one).  We told her 1.  It wasn't ready yet and 2.  She already had a family that's going to rent it. 

The landlady next door has had problems with "quality" tenants.  I don't know why.  Is she failing to do background checks?  Failing to get references?  I couldn't tell you.  I can tell you they have all had "issues". 

It's a nice neighborhood and people are willing to pay a lot (rent a house for over a thousand a month) in my subdivision.  I think they could afford to be picky. 

Maybe family, or her church, is pressuring her to take these people.  Hopefully the next ones will be quiet, no barking dog, stay out of our yard.  I don't want much. 

I have caught some of her former tenants climbing the gate to get in my backyard, looking in the windows of my house, etc.  So I really hope they do stay out of my yard. 

However, the cleanup seems to be going very slowly so I'm not worried about immediate move-ins.  Worst case we will put a lock on the gate. 

I certainly don't want the driver's extended family moving in.  They would absolutely "bring the drama" and that's the last thing I want at home. 

The driver told us how she was going "back home" to New Orleans this weekend and how it was supposed to be cold.  She claimed her daughter got sick if she got cold. 

They've proven that doesn't work, perhaps some lessons in handwashing would be more beneficial.  Don't get me wrong, wrap up the kid, but getting cold is not going to make her sick.  They've done clinical trials. 

I remember one cold front, about 3 years ago.  Ron and I had gone to Sam's club and gotten drenched in the "approaching cold front" rain.   We went to work for an hour or so, but didn't really dry off.  The cold front blew in, felt like it was in the upper 20's and low 30's.  Ron and I had to wait, outside, in wet clothing for our ride, which was late, for over 20 minutes. 

If cold weather made "you" sick then Ron and I should have been in the hospital.  But, thank God, we were fine.  So, I don't believe the whole cold-weather-always-gets-you-sick. 

I try to be vigilant about handwashing all the time, but especially in the winter.   I just had a wet Biscuit approach me and rub against my leg.  He's been out on his catio. 

We got to the bank.  We had to wait in line forever, apparently everyone did their banking today instead. 

When we got to the window with our bundles of $1 bills, she asked us how much we had.  No other teller has asked that.  We know how much we have, but we never tell the teller.  What if we're off, and the teller thinks "Oh, they think they only have $500, but they have $600, I'll just keep that money".  Nope, we never tell.  She got really upset we wouldn't tell her.  "You must be new" Ron replied.  "We never do it that way". 

She admitted she was new.  We did our transaction and I got paid.  Good.  I need to pay my health extortion pretty soon.  It's up to $400 a month now, for a crappy HMO.  I just hope they do pay if something happens to me. 

Our driver came in and found us when we were done (happily he didn't witness the transaction), he had his lunch after he dropped us.  He said he was going to sleep.  We told him he could sleep in our driveway, if he wanted.  He didn't, I don't think. 

I got Ron in the house.  He headed for the sink.  I told him about the problem.  "Get me a wooden handle" he told me.  I got him one.  He did something to the garbage disposal, fixing it.  I turned the switch, ran water, and everything.  "It's good for another 30 years" Ron joked, before he went after his vodka. 

Merry Christmas.  Hopefully that's our big repair for the month.  I ate a hot dog and some yogurt, and took my pills.  I offered to fix Ron a hot dog but he said no.  He had his vodka and I took my nap. 

My headache still lurked around during the nap, but I was relatively OK.  I rolled over on my arm and trapped a nerve, I woke up with the whole arm tingling.  Once I resettled I was OK. 

I had Biscuit sleep with me, and Torbie ran across me at one point.  She likes to sleep in the sock drawer, which I leave open for her.  She wedges herself in there quite comfortably.  She likes small spaces, funny because she is almost 15 pounds. 

I got up and finished my God Time, then watched a little TV.  I have something I need to address on Facebook (not bad, just a question mark) and then I am "done" for the night. 

Tomorrow, if things work out, we will do a supply run with "Larry" instead of Chuck.  Larry has the same type of truck, but he has a toolbox in the drawer that hogs up some space.  I don't think the toolbox comes out.  However, it is better than zero space, or the "four packages" rule they have on paratransit.  Larry also lives nearby and seems very nice. 

Larry and Ron are supposed to talk tonight and hash things out.  Right now Ron is asleep and Larry is still working, but we'll see. 

Chuck is proving less reliable these days.  It's funny, when Ron had his surgery I was doing several trips a day with Chuck, and everything was fine.  Now that things are less urgent, he seems more debilitated. 

Ron worries Chuck will get to the point where he can't drive.  Ron's worried, naturally, for us, if that happens, but also for Chuck.  Chuck does not live in the paratransit area, he would have to move, assuming he could even qualify for the service.  It would be a real nightmare all around. 

Anyway, Ron fixed the sink.  Yay!  He may be disabled, in so many ways, but he can still do a lot. 

I worry the government will begin rationing care for disabled people, basically saying "They're better off dead, anyway".  This is already happening.  One woman with cancer could not get her insurance to pay for her chemo, but they would have been happy to pay for her assisted suicide. 

Me, I'm pretty cheap.  Crazy, but cheap.  I pay for my own medication, which costs about $80 a month.  I pay for my own doctor visits.  I have required one hospitalization, when I was 13, and that was back when it cost about $1000 a month.  Insurance paid for one month and kicked me out.  I lived. 

But Ron always seems to need something, operations, diagnostics, etc.  I can't worry about that, I just have to keep on with it. 

So, tomorrow we go to work.  We had 2 calls for refunds today, which is very unusual.  I will see what the machines are doing but I think one case was user error.  I remember one time a customer tried to use the food machine as a bill changer and it wouldn't "work".  She "had" to buy something, which she returned.  I don't know why a customer would do that. 

The Poptarts, yes, I'm pretty sure that's a coin jam.  That's "on us".  I will open it up and clear the jam, someone probably put in a bent, or sticky, coin, or a penny.  That will jam them every time.  One time I had a foreign coin in the machine.  It looked like a dime but the size was off. 

Either that, or the board is acting up again in the machine.  It's a very unreliable machine. 

We'll see.  I also need to do up some chocolate for presents.  I think I'll do that and watch TV right now. 

Have a good one. 

To the heckler: I refuse to post your hateful comments about God.  You can start your own blog and say whatever you want, but I'm not putting it in MY blog.