This morning I woke up with a sore throat. I tried to sleep in, partly dreading coming out into the kitchen and having Grandpa ask me what my agenda for the day was ("You're looking at it"), and just how long I'm planning on staying here ("Until you kick me out"). The best I could make it to was 10. I spent the day reading Eat Pray Love and introducing Grandpa to the wonderfully easy world of quesidillas ("Like grilled cheese, only with salsa instead of tomato soup"). I gave him his pills and he said that he "forgot" about these things. He told me how he rarely takes them and is thinking about stopping. Mmmmhm. Carol is weird about her medicine too. She checked off that she did her medicine and her patch before I woke up, but her patch was where it was yesterday. When I showed her that I marked on the calendar where we put it yesterday, she very carefully explained that the patch was a twenty four hour patch so we didn't need to change it yet. I have no idea how she was processing this information, but I told her I knew for a fact that we switched her patch at the same time yesterday and it's in the same spot. We switch it, and later I see that she wrote the time we switched it on the calendar as well as filled in what side of her back it should be (switching off from left to right) for each day of the next week.
A little later I get a text from Ginny informing me that Grandpa and Carol are trying to call Bill's cell phone which he left at home. I come out into the kitchen as Carol is saying to Grandpa (phone in hand), "Maybe if we can find Ginny's number she can tell us." "What are you trying to get ahold of Bill for?" I ask, "He left his cell phone at home. Can I help you with anything." I cringe as I say this because I know the response before he even says it, "STAY OUT OF IT." Calmly, "I just talked to him yesterday, so maybe I can clear whatever you need to know up. Otherwise, I'm sure he will call back when he's home from work." "Where is he?" "At work. Is this about Carol's keys." "NO, I'm trying to find out when he's going to be here." "He isn't coming down for awhile." Then, I (with more patience then I knew I had) explained that he had been confused about Bill coming down. Then I go grab a piece of paper and write the simple note "BILL HAS NO CURRENT PLANS TO COME DOWN- 8.4.10." The rest of the day he keeps pulling it out of his pocket, reading it and putting it back in his pocket while rolling his eyes.
Speaking of Bill, he sends me a text saying I should have received Carol's keys today. I look by the door, I look in the mailbox, I ask Carol. No sign of a package. Finally I locate in between the side of my bedroom door and the bookcase. Carol had written the day and time that the package was received this morning. I showed her the package and it was like she hadn't seen it yet. We opened in like it was Christmas, "Let me open it,' "Can I hold it?" "Do you wanna go try it?" Luckily the engine started! We attached a note on it saying it was for "FOR EMERGENCY USE," then stuck it in the box on the table near the door. PLEASE remember this.
To sum up--
Daily sanity level of house: 7 (out of 10)
Erika's daily activity away from house: It rained this morning and by noon it was only 80 degrees. I went for a walk.
Daily lesson: Notes. Reminders. Notes.
I knew better than to answer Bill's cellphone this morning. Not only was I trying to sleep after working a night shift, but also because if I answered, it would cause the same confusion as when Joel answered Brother Jim's cellphone late this Spring...
ReplyDeleteBetter to text "Harriet the Spy".
Love your note idea. Might start using it myself: Close your mouth while eating. Wear clothing in public. Use soap.