Thursday 12/29/30

5:31a.m. I had some weird dreams last night. Also, arthritis pain made me yell out.  Roommate was also yelling a few times. So last night was pretty miserable. 

Aides got me out of bed at 5 I found myself still sick from the cold. I coughed a lot and had nazal drainage. I was a pretty miserable old fart. At least I’m not having a coughing spell. But I’m having one terrific headache. Looks like Thursday is going to be another shitty day.

Today is Chocolatechip’s  birthday. I feel like a selfish prick because I didn’t get her a present. I couldn’t send her a stinking card. We don’t exchange gifts since I been in the nursing home. Chocolatechip is still the love of my life. I should at least send her a birthday card.

Anyways Chocolatechip just turned 62. Wish I had a picture to share.  I keep telling her she doesn’t look 62. To me she looks ten years younger To me she will always be a beautiful young girl. 

Well three more days left in December.I will be glad to see this month go. I hate to be a Scrooge during Christmas time but depression always worse this time of year.  This year was really bad because I felt so alone.  Then I don’t do the cold winter months very well. I hate the cold and the snow. Anyway, December will be over and a new year will begin.

Six more days and I’ll get my Social Security check. I can’t wait to pay my credit card bill. Then I will payoff my rent to the nursing home.bThem I will buy those damned books, all nine volumes of The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant. I swear I will read every one of those books before I die. It is my bucket list.

1:45p.m. I slept almost all morning. i would wake up for a few minutes then go back to sleep. I was up for lunch. I had a plate of lasagna, a dinner roll, vegetable and a cup of fruit.i also had two cups of barely warm coffee Other than that lunch was delicious. I love Lasagna.

I was also talking with Chocolatechip. She got a weird phone call. It was from Toledo, OH. Toledo is where my ex wife Debbie livess Chocolatechip looked up the number. It was a legitimate phone number. We were thinking that Debbie, the x wife called. Chocolatechip said hello there times and then a hang up. We do not know anyone else from Toledo.

Other than that Chocolatechip is having a good day. She got a lot of nice gifts from her sister Elaine. One gift was $40.The money will go to good use next month she said. I’m pleased that Chocolatechip is fixing a nice birthday meal I think she is having roast beef. 

Then I talked about my day. I said I was tested for Covid. It would surprise me I have a dose with how I’ve been feeling. I also said nearly everyone in the facility is  sick with something. I, and everyone else with symptoms, are confined to their rooms

Coach from occupational therapy apy came. I had to do these things? Vir st, I had to work on dexterity. I got to screw different sizes of nuts done a metal pole. She said I did pretty good. I told her I was not very good at this type of thing. But when I worked at Eagle Manufacturing I worked with my hands a lot.

I had to do other tasks  as well. One was to put square pegs in round holes. I was timed for this one. I did ok on this job. But then she had me bounce a balloon back and forth. I had great difficulty doing this because my muscles got sore from reaching. Fortunately we called a halt early.i hope to do better tomorrow.

Then I was on Facebook very briefly. I saw a picture of my long lost daughter Allison. She was in Wheeling hiking on a trail.Caption read hiking in Wheeling is getting to be a Christmas tradition. Wheeling is not too far from Follansbee. If we were close she could come up for a visit. But I might as well ask for a big Powerball win.

I’m feeling a bit better. I’m not coughing as much. My nose isn’t runny and I haven’t been sneezing. don’t feel so tired and exhausted. My shoulders ache from therapy but that will pass. I think I feel good enough to listen to my audiobook for awhile.

3:53p.m. I’m kind of obsessing about that phone call. I had got the number from Chocolatechip and lssooked it up on Google Chrome. I couldn’t find anything without having to pay. This one search co wanted $1 for a five day membership. I’m not falling for that line again. Chocolatechip looked it up and she said it was a landline. Chocolatechip also said not to worry about it unless it continues. 

Besides, we do not know for sure if it was from Debbie. I zcant figure out why my x would be calling Chocolatechip in the first place. If anything. She should be after me. Chocolatechip never did any harm to Debbie. We shall see if this develops into a more serious situation. 

I can’t dwell on this. I got to focus on getting better? Also. I haven’t been reading like I should. I just haven’t been up to it I seem to be stuck on Chapter 14 The Center Holds, More or Less in Grand Expectations: The United States 1945-1954.  For one reason or another I keep going over the same materiel and I don’t start reading until after supper. I’d like to be getting back to my regular reading schedule. But things keep coming up such as getting sick and dealing with obsessions.

I have about fourteen hrs left of listening time. My goal is to finish this book by Saturday. I can do it if I force myself to concentrate. Trouble is I can’t force myself. I have to have the right conditions to be able to get into reading. I haven’t been able to achieve these conditions the last few days for being so sick. I hope to change this tonight.

 8:52p..m.  I was having a good evening. As always I parked my wheelchair by the sink to plug in my tablet. I was having a good time listening to my audiobook Grand Expectations. I finished listening to Chapter 14 and started to hear the next. In this chapter the author discussed an overview of the 60s 

Everything was great. I was concentrating. I was chilled I was having a good ole time minding my business and reading my book. Then it all turned bad when I had a run in with my aide and roommate. My roommate parked his wheelchair right next to me. Aide was walking down the hall. I asked her nicely to move my roommate. She got a bit irate with me ordering me to move away from the sink. I couldn’t move anywhere because the roommate was in my way.

I got a tad bit mad. I don’t like it when people get up close and personal. These rooms are not very big in the first place.  I get very claustrophobic and anxious when the roommate violates my space. Then I get yelled at for asking for help. Both greatly upset me.

I’m ok now. I’m back by the sink. Roommate is parked by the door. But I was a bit frazzled for a while.