For breakfast, with my antidepressant

I had trouble falling asleep last night.  For one, I had a big fat Torbie on me, purring.  If I stop petting her she puts her paw on my face, with claws extended.  It's a good motivator!  I kept petting her but I got SO congested. 

Sadly, I am allergic to cats.  I had to get up (once she got bored and went into her house) and took a mucus pill.  Once it kicked in I was able to sleep.  I took a low dose Claratin today as well. 

I slept pretty well.  I think they are still recovering, next door, from the party.  I woke up and got ready to go, took my shower, used my new soap (read review) and enjoyed it.  I looked out the front window (one thing I love about my house, all the windows), and saw #6 had their garbage out at the curb. 

In addition to the trash can and recycle, they had several garbage bags, trash from the party, I guess.  I realized I had better get dressed and get my trash out quick, because the new company comes early. 

I barely made it out there at 7:30, before they came.  They made a lot of noise, as they do, and I was secretly thrilled they were probably waking #6 up.  You will note I never did anything to wake them up, even though I was up at 9 AM, six hours after their party ended.  I could have made some noise with the trash cans, weed-whacked the catio, or fired off some firecrackers, but I did not because it would make Jesus sad.  And I don't want that. 

Anyway I got Ron ready.  He has trouble getting a sweatshirt on over his head, and pulling it down in the back.  That's what I do when I "help him dress" - pull the sweatshirt/t-shirt down in the back.  He's got the rest of it down pretty well. 

And he used to do loads of laundry. 

We left to go to Walmart.  It was a new driver.  She was early and kept blasting the horn (so sorry, #6 - I won't make the noise but I won't feel bad if someone else does!).  We got out.  She did not know how to secure the wheelchair, took about 5 minutes trying to do it.  Even then, once she got the vehicle in motion it flipped over and kept banging around.  I was glad Ron was not in it. 

I helped Ron into the cab (put his hand on the handgrip and got out of his way), he got in.  She had a bunch of crap in the front seat.  Some drivers do that when they don't want a front seat passenger "Oh, I have stuff - I can't transport an actual passenger even though that is what the seat is for" - I hate that.  It is so passive aggressive.  If you don't want someone sitting next to you then "cab driver" is not the job for you.  I was petty enough to stand there, waiting, while she moved everything. 

I gave her directions to the Walmart, and she still managed to screw it up.  How hard is "Turn right at the wooden fence?"  Too hard, apparently. 

I don't see her lasting very long, and I am shocked her trainer approved her.  At the end of a week of training, the trainer gets to decide if the trainee gets hired. 

We went into the store and I left Ron up front, and went shopping.  I did some personal shopping (mainly cat food) and bought eight 6-packs of soda for Ron.  I checked out and paid, went to Ron. 

I was sitting at one end of a long bench, it was two benches pushed together and probably 12 feet long.  Ron was sitting to my right, in his wheelchair. He said some woman stepped on his feet (I left him WELL out of the way) so he moved and put his feet under the bench.  A woman came out, almost ran over MY feet, and sat down just inches away, well in my personal space. 

She was white, had freshly cut/permed/dyed hair that probably cost well over $250.  She was wearing nice shoes and had a leather purse.  She had a fresh manicure. 

She watched me for a while.  I ignored her.  There are a lot of freaks at Walmart and clearly this woman had no concept of "personal space" or "boundaries".  She asked to borrow my phone, which was in it's holster and not obvious under my jacket. 

I told her I didn't loan out my phone. 

She asked me why. 

Because someone stole it, I told her.  You may remember when that happened if you are a very long term reader, I loaned it to a guy at the bus stop and I had a hell of a time getting it back. 

She wouldn't steal it, she told me. 

"That's what the guy said, before he stole it". 

She needed to use the phone - whining.  Note she has not said why she doesn't have a phone and it is not an emergency. 

I told her again, I don't loan out my phone.  Then I got up and took Ron outside. 

The whole time she was bothering me Ron was on his phone.  She didn't ask Ron for his phone, just me. 

There are a lot of reasons I didn't give her my phone.  The main one being if she had all that money for hair, nails, makeup, purse, she had money for a phone.  Second, that has my private information on it.  Nothing financial or email, but still private.  It is my phone, I paid for it.  Plus I am not stupid enough to hand over all my "personal" to a complete stranger who says they won't steal it. 

We waited outside.  She did not come out and bother us any more.  If she really needed to make a call she could have gone to customer service, or asked a man for his phone.  She was not bad looking or heavy, a guy probably would have loaned his phone out. 

Our ride came.  She had another passenger in the vehicle and, for a minute I thought Ron would have to ride in the back.  But no, just one other person.  I went in the front (again!) and Ron went in the back behind the driver. 

I teased the other client a little and said "Don't worry, he hasn't bitten anyone in weeks, and he's had all his shots!"  She grinned.  I liked her.  She had a terrible cough, though, and was going to one of those county medical clinics.  I hope it was just a smoker's cough and not something contagious. 

We got all the crap put up and off we went to work.  We got to work and unloaded, I left Ron out front with the stuff and got my cart.  I got everything (and Ron) into the building and we got to work. 

I won't bore you with the details: put new drinks in fridge, canned soda, bottled soda, snacks. I was pretty busy! 

I got 90% of it done by the time we left.  Things are still pretty busy at work so that was important. 

We left about 20 minutes early and went outside, to find our ride already there!  Nice!  We loaded up and went home. 

I put my stuff (mainly cat food), including my Diet Mountain Dew, away.  I need to tell you about the Dew.  I encountered the Pepsi vendor at Walmart when I was looking for Sprite.  He asked me how I was doing, as I scanned the shelves.  "Great!" I told him "You brought my Diet Mountain Dew, it's a good day!"  He chuckled at me and smiled, said he was happy to help.  That was fun.  Since I was already getting eight 6-packs, I just got one of the Dew, but one will hold me for nearly a week.  I have one for breakfast, with my antidepressant.  Anyway, I put it next to my chair, the cat food on the kitchen table, which has become the cat food table. 

I took a nap.  When I lay down to rest, I do a couple of things.  I get undressed.  I turn on my noisemaker.  I take off my glasses and put them in a box on my bedside table.  And I lay down. 

I hadn't seen Torbie when I got home, but once I laid down she erupted out of my closet and got on me, purring, wanting more petting.  Torbie is the cat of a thousand pets.  There is no such thing as too much petting, for Torbie.  She has an endless appetite.  So I pet her until she went in her house, next to my head. 

I'm so glad I got her that thing. 

I had a pretty good nap, but woke up with a headache.  I had gotten out of that cycle for a while but it is apparently back - lay down for a nap, get up with a headache.  Makes me hate laying down. 

I got up and took something.  I just opened a fresh bottle of generic headache formula from Walmart, the green and white bottle.  They do a good job, overall. 

I got on the computer for a while.  I watched a little TV.  I talked to Ron. 

And, when the time was right, I opened up one of my new cans of cat food, Duck and Sweet Potato.  They liked the gelatin/broth pretty well, both Biscuit and Baby Girl were licking away, but not so crazy about the meat portion.  Which is why I keep track of their favorites on my cell phone. 

I think everyone has some sort of list app on their phone.  I keep the favored cat foods on mine.  This would rate OK but don't buy again.  Well, they got a new flavor.  It was a good try. 

I did get almost a whole case of Tuna Primavera by Fancy Feast, which is a five star as far as my 3 are concerned.  That, Supreme Supper by Friskies, and - that's pretty much it for 5 star cat foods they will eat to nothing, every time.  Plus they have the Blue Wilderness Grain Free dry Salmon for breakfast every day.  Biscuit likes that so much he will grab the scoop in his claws, and gobble.  If I try to move the scoop he digs in and spills the food. 

I also put away the garbage cans, but I didn't check the mail.  I think we have a new carrier, she seems sweet and nice, and I am getting all my mail, no one else's, so I'm happy. 

And there goes the dryer.  Time to go hang some clothes.  OK, done with that.  Tomorrow I need to do a load of pants/jeans. 

Speaking of clothes, I want Ron in easier to wear clothes.  So today I mentioned he could get his sweatshirt as an easy-to-wear jacket.  He wouldn't have to pull it down, he could just put his arms in the sleeves and zip it up the front, if he wanted.  It's easily machine washable.  He was very interested and said he would like one of those jackets. 

You will notice I did not call it "a hoodie" at any point or time.  No, it is a sweatshirt jacket.  And I'm sticking to that.  It even, I told him, had two pockets on the front! 

Dale Carnagie said something once about creating enthusiasm for a product.  I think I did a pretty good job of that.  Now I just need to find one in a dark neutral for him.  Here's to hoping I find something that works. 

It works better for Ron to wear a large t-shirt, it is looser and is easier to don.  I have been phasing in large t-shirts as the mediums wear out.  Ron has - well, he used to be a big guy, around 240 at his high, but he has been a normal weighted guy since his accident.  Large size gives him enough room without swallowing him.  Throw a large zip front hoodie over that and he will look fine.  He will certainly fit in at work, and everywhere we go. 

I have one from Walmart I like a lot, it is a little oversized which I like.  It is black and has a good zipper, sewn in well, good sleeve length, good overall construction.  I forgot how much it cost but it was reasonable.  I want that, in a "man" for Ron. 

Off I go to watch a little TV before bed.