"Heather doesn't need you anymore"

I woke up early, around 7, on my day off.  I took my shower and got ready for my delivery. 

It was scheduled between 10-11.  I got a text at 10:15 he was 5 minutes away.  Sure enough, a white Kia pulled into my driveway a few minutes later. 

All the Walmart delivery cars (people's personal vehicles) have been very clean and in good condition.  Must be a condition of employment. 

I opened the garage door and we started putting things away.  I had bought some "size 5" pads, but they looked pretty thin on the website.  They were huge, what we used to call "mattress pads" in high school because that's all the school would provide to girls. 

Oh, well.  They only cost $3.  I thought that seemed like a really good deal.  Maybe I can wear them at night, at home.  The driver was a little reluctant to pick up that bag, so I did.  I also got the 38 pound package of litter.  I didn't want to make him do any heavy lifting, especially since he didn't know where I wanted to put it. 

He had the neckbones.  I told him "It's funny, my husband is from [a very bad, "black" part of town] and he won't touch them, but I love them".  The driver, who was black, stopped and did a double take.  I don't think he figured me for a woman in an interracial marriage.  I think I went up in his opinion after that. 

We got everything in the house.  I mean, I did.  I put the meat in the fridge and freezer.  I bought a 4 pound package of frozen chicken thighs, and the neckbones.  The neckbones were about two and a half pounds.  I may need to break that into two batches for the crock pot.  I will have to look when I open the package and have a freezer bag on hand. 

Then I put up the produce.  I got some tomatoes for me, bananas for whoever wanted them, fresh garlic cloves for cooking, Ron asked for cucumbers and salad dressing, put all that away. 

I arranged the cat litter in the garage.  I have about 100 pounds now, which should hold me for a while. 

I put everything away.  I ate a few grape tomatoes and then a banana.  Ron showed up and asked what I was eating.  I told him.  He wanted a banana (always happy to get him some fresh fruits and vegetables), so I gave it to him.  I have one left now. 

I would rather food get eaten up quickly than have it spoil.  I can always buy more. 

I am trying intermittent fasting for the next little bit.  No food for 16 hours, eat for 8.  That is doable.  I am seldom hungry in the morning, anyway, I think my body wants to eat like this. 

I ate breakfast at 10.  I took a nap after I put the groceries away.  I woke up with a pretty nasty headache.  Ron was on the phone with Chuck, telling him "Heather doesn't need you anymore" and all about the grocery delivery service. 

They even brought me a plastic canister for my rice.  Excellent. 

Not so excellent: that headache!  I took something.  I needed to eat in the next couple hours if I was going to keep the schedule for fasting, but I didn't want the beans, didn't want to cook, didn't want one of Ron's new burritos.  I thought about it.  I wanted either some oatmeal, or a pecan waffle. 

I told Ron those were my 2 dinner choices, with my headache, and he offered to take me to the Waffle House.  I accepted. 

I fed the cats first because I would be out past their dinner time.  They were happy.  Now, with the cats it is really important they get Supreme Supper, because they are very picky eaters.  For instance, they will only eat salmon in a dry food and never in a wet.  They want "supper". 

My shoppers have been great about making sure they got just that.  Every can has been correct.  Now, if I got the wrong litter they could end up pooping on the floor.  Baby Girl did that once when she didn't like her litter.  But I got "my" Scoop away today. 

Everything I've gotten is exactly what I would have picked, or better.  I am extremely happy and plan to use the service MANY times in the future.  And $8 is a bargain compared to cab fare. 

So we went to the Waffle House.  Since we took a private cab I can say Ron was very drunk.  He kept talking about his catholic mother and the driver had a crucifix hanging from his rearview mirror.  But the driver took it in good stride.  I told Ron later and he was a little sheepish, but not much.  [sigh]

Dinner was good.  We had "our" guy - he has been there every time we've gone.  Ron ordered a good meal and I got a couple of waffles.  The waffles got on great with my medication, unlike the grilled cheese, or the egg sandwich. 

After the meal Ron gave me a couple of dollars for the jukebox.  I played some songs he likes.  He got a little emotional listening to Janis Joplin.  He gets very upset over singers who die young.  The way I see it, they killed themselves.  It was a little embarrassing, but everyone ignored him.  Thank God the next song I had selected was pretty lively so he cheered up.  I did select "Thunder", which I like and figured wouldn't be too offensive to Ron.  He didn't like it but he didn't hate it, either.  His big objection, it was "new". 

I teased him and told him he was a sparrow.  Same song, day in, day out, 'till he dies.  I am more a whale, changing my song as the mood suits.  He agreed.  He called a cab to go home.  She showed up during "Low Places".  The poor staff must have been so happy to see us go.  They were not old country music fans. 

The driver turned out to be a JW.  I was glad to get out.  At least she didn't try to give us a magazine.  I thought they were supposed to do that?  Anyway, happy to get out.  We still "took care of her" with the tip. 

She wasn't really happy to be doing her job.  I have met some cab drivers who love what they do, or act like it at least.  Arturo is one of them.  So's Alex. 

I took the trash can out - Ron always feels terrible he can't do that anymore, but it doesn't bother me.  it is a lot easier to take out a big can on wheels than it was to take out endless bags when I was a teenager, growing up.  That was a pain. 

I am surprised, looking back, we never had possums in the garbage.  We used to put the food garbage in plastic bags and tie them up, then leave them sitting out in the side yard for a week until garbage day.  Never a problem. 

At any rate, I got my trash out.  #2 has a lot of "extra" garbage at the curb.  I suspect someone is moving out.  Probably the young man.  Maybe the whole family but hard to tell.  They still have a LOT of crap in the garage, if that's the case. 

They have, like, 3 patio sets out back (and never sit in them).  The garage is stuffed full of crap.  It seems anyone who lives there is a hoarder.  They see a big house with a big yard and think how they can fill it full of crap.  And barking, neglected, dogs.  Those have been common themes the last 15 years. 

It really irked me no end, several years ago I sent the landlady a letter explaining how the tenant's dog was destroying our shared fence.  She came out and I showed her.  She swore up and down that as soon as she got back on her feet financially, she would pay to have the entire fence replaced.  Years pass.  It never happens. 

I was OK with that.  Then she replaced the fence on the other 3 sides of the yard.  I kept thinking, surely she is going to fix our fence, especially as she promised and clearly has the money to do this.  She never did.   THAT smoked my bacon.  I am still pretty upset about that. 

And "our" fence was the worst of them all, thanks to the stupid dog wanting to live with Ron.  She was constantly breaking boards, digging holes, etc.  I managed to rig up some temporary measures to keep her out, but that was almost 10 years ago. 

It would have been better, in my view, if she hadn't fixed the other fences at all. 

Do I want them to move out next door?  No, not really.  Overall they are fairly quiet.  They have a bad habit of standing around in the driveway with loud, ignorant, talk; playing loud music when they come home/leave, but overall I would say they are pretty quiet and the dog is fairly well controlled.  They don't leave it out in the yard, as it is a small, valuable, breed.  So we don't have to deal with a lot of barking. 

God only knows what could move in if they leave.  So, I will remain hopeful it is "just" the young man leaving. 

And I need to go to bed, so I'll do that.  We have most of tomorrow off.