The way it Is

Friday, I forgot this was a Monday holiday weekend. The people I needed to talk with were "out of the office today." So that means Monday, too. I will make no progress...sigh. The rest of the week, people were in meetings or would get back to me.


The first day I was here, I mixed canned beef and canned potatoes for dinner. Later, Tommy said in a very irritating and irritated voice, "What about those dishes in there?" I used a skillet and real fork and a large plastic spoon I gave him. I said I would wash them. Then, the next day I told him I would wash dishes when there was a new light bulb over the sink. It is still like a cave in the kitchen. The skillet was Teflon and he said it had not been used in five years or so. Yes, I did wash the pan.


I am not supposed to "get into things." When I asked him if he had something I could cook on in the oven, he directed me to a pan about 9"x 11" with 1/2 " sides. A jelly roll pan? Tiny cookie sheet? So, I bought a larger sheet to cook in the oven. A friend at a church gave me a paring knife I was trying to buy. It is primitive here. He knows how cook bacon and hamburgers.

With his physical condition, I am not going to try to turn him into a sous chef to help him learn.

His electric can opener quit working, at least for me. I got out the can opener another church gave me with a can of tuna when I was in the motel. I do not wat him to cook for me, but it would be good for him if he had survival skills beyond fast food, cans, or going to a restaurant. I prefer a manual can opener anyway. I have not opened another can since I got here.

When I told him and showed him briefly how I cooked in the cooking bag, he was impressed. He commented that we had a good meal and used up lots of food in the refrigerator. I pointed out that if he could stuff food in the bag, close it, and poke six holes in the bag, he could do this without me. He said not a word...lol. He has no flour, so I have been cooking in the bag without flour and the bag does not explode like the directions say it will. He will miss me when I am gone.


He was horrified how I use so much toilet paper. I laughed.

Finally, I got my huge wire chicken from his Rogue. I mentioned I would put it in a place a guy does not mow and killed his grass and would put flowers in the pot holder. He said, "NO." But, he said nothing when I talked sweet to the chicken and put it in place a week later. The chicken was one of the few things I rescued from the yard after the thieves started looting the yard.

Friday night, he told me I could only use my laptop in the bedroom. ??? That would mean I had to plug and unplug the wall plug from behind the sofa/loveseat and then from behind the headboard where he has things plugged up that he does not want removed. ??? I am allowed to use the laptop in the living room if I ask and if he agrees. There was no rhyme or reason to this declaration.

The first night I was here, I slept in his bedroom that he has not used in five or so years. I sat on the bed, got in, went to sleep, got up to go to bathroom, sat on the bed and went back to sleep. When I got up the next morning, I went back in there and sat nearer the head of the bed so I could be near the bed table. Well, the bed collapsed when the slats slipped. So, he took apart the bed and moved a frame from a bed n another room and replaced the broken one. It seemed to take forever. I could hear what sounded like clicking and clacking. I have no idea how he managed to move bed frame, mattress and box springs from one room to another. I was on the love seat, and resting. Apparently, I went to sleep.


Later, he said he was fascinated watching me sleep on the loveseat. I had one foot on the seat with knee up in the air and the other foot crossed over with foot resting on knee or near. He said he had never seen anyone sleep like that. I do it all the time. Does it seem strange to you?

And, I just now sprained my ankle o uneven asphalt in a parking lot!