I got up around 8. Should have taken a shower then but I figured Ron would be up at 9. He said he would set an alarm for 9. I had a headache so I took something. I also ate and took my pills, then remembered I might have wanted to wait (glad I didn't, now).
Watched TV and worked on the computer until 11, when I woke Ron up. He was in a good mood to start but said he would not sit in his wheelchair while I worked on the computer, he wanted to work on his computer while I sat by and assisted as needed. It didn't sound very efficient.
He has been complaining for days that he is finding everything "hard". I accept that, understand he needs some tutoring, which I am sure will be provided. It makes everyone look good and I am sure a couple of state employees were hired for times just like this.
So he wanted to "set everything up". I started running into trouble when I told him we would have to move the old printer so I could look at the old monitor (it is over 20 years old and flew out with me from CA, still works great). He objected but I told him, if you want me to help I need to be able to see. He reluctantly accepted that and "let" me move it.
It hasn't worked in several years, anyway. I don't know what he's thinking. He still thinks he can "Take it to [the computer guy]" spend a service call, and get it working again. The thing is at least 10 years old. I told Ron they probably don't make the ink anymore.
Cue lots of drama "getting things set up" Ron cursing and fumbling around with cables (why didn't he do this last night?). I had to loan him my USB mouse because his old mouse didn't work in the computer. He was still going to keep it (he hoards old computer crap) until I told him to throw it out.
Everything's set up and is working. He starts up, moving around pretty good. He did ask me to move from the main directory to a sub directory. He doesn't know how to right-click with his speech software. So, all day long, whenever he wanted to change directories I would have to come running and do it. It got very old.
He was OK to start, then he had me reading formulas because he didn't know how to do that, either. I don't know whether it is the new OS, screen reader, or updated Excel, but he had a lot of trouble. So I sat there in a very uncomfortable chair, next to a litter box Ron refuses to change, and read one formula after another for him as he bounced around from one spreadsheet to another.
You get the idea. From what I could see he has things set up very inefficiently, several documents for each month, duplicate data entry, etc. That is not how I would run things, I would just have one master template with all the formulas, open it every month (or whenever it needed work), input, and then save it as "Monthyear". Then the master is not altered. Meter readings, sales tax, etc. all on the same form. But he has them not only as separate files but separate directories, which "Heather?" I had to keep changing.
That went on for hours. No nap today either. It will be a miracle if I don't get sick.
Finally finished and did the report, well, started, he forgot things and had to go back and check. Once the report was filed he proceeded to get very drunk. He is trying to put trash in the cupboards and is messing around with cat treats. I hope I can get some sleep tonight.
I finally took my shower, glad I did.
Now, the old treats made Baby Girl hostile and aggressive. I would just throw away all the treats that have a question mark, might be old. That's me. Then I would go out to Walmart and buy all new treats and know Torbie is safe.
Torbie, by the way, had what I think is a pretty typical day of sleeping on the wool blanket, sleeping in her house, sleeping on the blanket again, asking for treats a few times.
Biscuit went out in the catio for a while, and another cat came by, the all black cat with white paws. He (?) wears a collar and is pretty fat, so obviously someone's pet, but the poor thing was out in the cold and wind. I felt bad for it.
Biscuit felt a little threatened, and came inside demanding petting. Ron wasn't in the mood so I pet Biscuit for a while and he lay down next to Ron for a couple of hours. Biscuit was warm and safe. The other cat was still outside trying to get warm.
I was pretty modest with my caffeine intake today, proud of that. I had a Mountain Dew (78 mg), a dose of headache medicine (200 mg), and a Diet Dr Pepper at a rough point in the computer work (58 mg). Doc wants me to keep it under 400. I did that, today.
I tend to use caffeine as a crutch when I am stressed out, so I was pleased I did so well today.
At one point today Ron showed me a broken off crown and told me he broke it eating nuts. I should have never bought him the nuts, but I was just thinking of protein and essential fatty acids. At any rate, he broke another tooth.
It it were up to me we'd just get the bad ones pulled as they came up, but he refuses. As he sees it, only the poor and ignorant get teeth pulled. He had to have an eyetooth pulled a year or two back when he broke it on some trail mix, it was very loose in his mouth and had to be pulled. I have had a total of 8 teeth pulled, four to make room for braces, and four impacted wisdom teeth. Not much fun for any of that, let me tell you. But I also take care of my teeth and take mineral supplements to boost what I get from my diet.
Ron would never do that. He doesn't even take his prescription vitamins. He is not actively suicidal but I believe he is, passively. He will not do anything to overtly hasten the end but he will neglect to do things he should. Which is going to make a really bad morning for me, one day.
I need to get him out of the kitchen and into bed (he is not abusive right now, and pretty quiet, I would like to get him into bed so he can sleep and REALLY not bother me). I will have to dance around the edges and see his mood. He was OK earlier but very determined to stay in the kitchen.
I need the kitchen so I can eat and take my pills. You can bet that will happen before I go to bed!
Tomorrow is work stocking vending machines, not work on the computer (I hope). Ron was in such a foul mood tonight I did not ask him if he had enough money in the business account to cover the payment.
Sometimes I have to pick my battles.
Edit, while I was proofing this, Ron went by in his wheelchair and took himself to bed. Good.
4 comments:
So what happens when Ron is literally no longer able to run the business? Who determines that? Seems like he is unable now.
"As long as you prop him up in a corner and file the reports on time" we are good, per the boss.
He can do a lot, actually, fill sodas (most of them) with assistance. He is also good at breaking up cardboard for the recycle, a job I HATE. I am doing the heavy lifting as directed by the pain doc. He would rather neither of us do heavy lifting, but he really doesn't want Ron doing it. Sometimes I have him help with snacks. He sorts the change and counts the money for the deposits. He does all the accounting. He does a lot.
Can he load a truck? No. Can he pick up a case of water? It's going to be very ugly and probably put him in bed for a few days. But he contributes his fair share.
So he breaks up boxes. WOW! Basically from reading what you wrote above it sounds like you are pretty much doing EVERYTHING. If he needs help doing something then technically he is not doing a lot nor is he capable of doing much on his own it seems. If you take over the accounting (which is coming) then you will pretty much be doing 99% of the work. Too bad you can't even really acknowledge this or give yourself any credit for it either.
I did have another question: How exactly is a blind man supposed to scoop out a litter box? Interesting that you refuse to empty this dirty and disgusting box because he is supposed to do it BUT you do everything else. How do blind people function without a slave to do it ALL? Do they hire someone or is he just too dependent on you doing it all?
A couple of questions so I will answer them one at a time. Most blind people are very independent, and have the use of both arms and legs. Ron does not, he pretty much only has the use of one arm. Even sighted, he would need a lot of help. That + blind = a fair amount of help. I will say I am very glad he can use the bathroom on his own. And he can feed himself ready-made or heat-up food, get water and drinks out of the fridge, etc. So the average blind person doesn't need as much as Ron. At the conference, probably 300 blind people, and only a couple in wheelchairs.
About the litter box. He puts a plastic bag (the kind that say "Thank YOU" on the side, over his hand, and goes fishing. If he finds a clump it goes in a small trash can with another bag. He has not done that in a while.
In his defense, it could be his back; could be bending over like that is painful for him. I have not asked.
I will agree he could not run the business without me, or someone to help. He would need help with both the accounting and the stocking. I am 2-in-1. It is enough for me that we both know that.
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