Thursday

I had a hard night sleeping, worried about Ron.  His left hand now looks like his right hand, and that's not good.  He is preferentially using his "bad" right hand instead of his left hand now.  I have to pick up the slack on that, I am OK with it, but WTH?  He is consistent in saying he does not want a doctor. 

I got up late and got ready, helped him (he didn't need much more than usual), got us ready for work.  They sent a big van with a young female driver.  Most of the drivers on the big vans are women, most of the drives on the cabs are men. 

We got onboard, pretty uneventful.  We passed work, so clearly not a straight trip.  She went about an hour out of the way to pick up a woman in a wheelchair, in a suburb on the FAR outskirts of the city.  Then she couldn't find the client because the house wasn't numbered (why do people do that?!  Don't you want your packages and rides?).  We got her loaded, now off to work. 

We came from the "bad side" it is harder to see the driveway and you have to be able to turn immediately, from seemingly nowhere, to get into the facility.  A lot of the big plants are like that from what I have seen. 

I had noticed the driver had the very bad habit of waiting until she was AT the turnoff, exit, whatever, and then suddenly moving over from the middle lane, "hoping" someone would let her over.  It was risky at least.  The GPS would say "Take right exit in 1 mile" and she would be literally where the lanes divided AT the exit before moving over.  That wouldn't work for getting us to work. 

We got about a mile from the facility and I told her "You need to get over in the left lane".  She ignored me and kept driving.  1/4 mile away I said "You really need to get over".  She got a massive attitude, told me I know what I'm doing etc.  Except this time they wouldn't let her over.  There are big trucks on this street and she was no longer the biggest thing on the road, able to intimidate other drivers into "letting" her go.  She slowed way down, cursing, trying to get over for the last quarter mile (and she could have very easily done so when I first told her a mile back).  Totally un-necessary and could have gotten us hit. 

We get to the drop off location and I take off my seatbelt, she unfastens the wheelchair (there are straps that secure it to the floor), shoves it at Ron, and walks to the back to put the tie-downs away.  Ron is trying to get into the wheelchair.  And no one is holding it.  I jump up and grab the wheelchair, and Ron gets into it successfully.  I am just letting go of the wheelchair when she comes up behind me.  There is more than enough room to pass.  She gets a major excuse me (nasty tone, so she wasn't being polite) attitude again and I made a big production of getting out of her way. 

Eeesh.  Usually they aren't this bad.  If you are going around getting offended by every little thing you are going to be constantly pissed.  Especially in this line of work.   I was happy to get away from her. 

We went into the facility.  And Ron could do very little of his job.  He couldn't unlock the vending machines, couldn't service the bottled vendor, and could only stock canned soda with great difficulty, if I had already unlocked the machine.  I had to help him a lot more, and I helped him a fair amount to begin with.  It's a good thing the boss said Ron just had to show up to work and I could do all the stocking. 

One encouraging note, he said the stocking movements got easier the more he did them.  He was also able to plug in his cell phone today, he couldn't yesterday at all. 

I didn't offer any opinions.  He told me his and I agreed with him.  That had been my thought all alone.  I don't know if he wants me to share it so I will wait and ask him when he wakes up. 

It was alarming.  But Ron realized he could count on me, that I was cheerfully providing assistance and even making lewd remarks to him.  He grinned at that.  I told him, out of all the things that could have been affected, memory, speech, reasoning, leg, I was glad it was the arm instead.  If his leg went that would be catastrophic.  He agreed. 

I helped him with his work (like always) and then did my work.  He hung out with me while I worked and we chatted, which I liked.  I stocked well over 100 bags of potato chips, pretty repetitive.  Nice to have the company. 

He had cancelled the ride home when it was obvious work would take far longer than usual.  When we finished he called Arturo and we went home.  I had thought about going through a drive through but nothing really appealed. 

We got home, I got Ron settled.  I drank a large glass of milk and took my morning pills.  Then I took a short walk. 

Important note for the women: please vary your route if you go for walks/runs.  Don't always go down to the corner, hang a left, etc.  Predators get to know your routines and look for you.  Vary the route.  Vary the times and days.  It is just smart to protect yourself.  I know everyone likes a routine but this is one you don't want. 

As it was, on my route I saw a very strange mexican guy with a handcart walking down the street and heckling his black neighbor.  That doesn't even factor in that weird guy on my street, who, as I've said, has come up on my property 2x that I know about, trespassing, bothering my drivers and there are 2 SUV's in his driveway. 

I also found the cat lady house.  3 cats were loafing outside.  The ran when they saw me at first but they could smell my cats, and paused.  I said hello.  I really liked the black one.  I love black cats.  But, as Ron said when I got home, it would be apocalyptic if I brought another cat of any age into our home.  Ron then imitated Torbie's "annoyed" meow which had me rolling with laughter. 

So I had a good walk of about 15 minutes.  I then turned off my phone (vital, I have found) got undressed, and laid down for a nap.  I had a pretty good one but woke up with a headache again.  I don't have any answers on this one - it is my last persistent headache, but I have found a cold caffeine drink will generally end, or greatly reduce it. 

I got up and did that.  Then paratransit came.  It startled me.  I woke Ron up and he said send it away.  He was pretty annoyed because he had been sleeping very well.  I got on the computer for a bit, it's been pretty quiet. 

Baby Girl is lying on the other side of the exercise bike.  She likes to hang out near, but not at, me.  The other cats tend to lie behind my chair. 

I plan to plan out some future workouts.  Today and tomorrow I am off working out.  Nothing serious, at any rate.  I did take the walk (not fast, because of my foot) and do the stretchy band for my shoulder. 

I might take another walk tomorrow (in a different direction) but no weights.  I am training pretty heavy and rest days are really important.