Baring It All: Disinfecting My Buttocks

As usual, I had trouble sleeping and slept from 4 am until 7 am! Ugh! We left in a light rain to drive to Cullman to the lunch at the pretty church, the one that uses real tableware instead of plastic and foam. I even had my unsweetened tea in a glass.

The rain came and went and traffic was minding its manners. We went to the PO and by my place. Then, we arrived at the church early enough and not too early.

I love scouring the counters and tops of recycling bin for junk mail, like I never get enough. I did score a USA Today and a local paper, both tossed without even reading. I only looked at two of the half-dozen or more tables in front of the PO Boxes.

At the church luncheon was a program by the Unsheltered founder. They have plans for the future with about ten acres and Tiny Houses for the homeless. It was very enlightening. At the present there are 28 people who are homeless in Cullman. This does not count people who are sleeping on the couch of a friend or sleeping in their car or in a shelter. Some of the 28 are sleeping in the woods.

Lunch--Lasagna, buttered garlic bread, salad, and a dessert with whipped topping on cake and maybe berries and blueberries. I did not eat mine, so not sure. I think the lasagna might me the best I have ever had!

Then, we left like the wind, okay like a breeze, to get to Huntsville to the cardiologist. After tests it turns out there is no problem with my veins. I am happy, but disappointed I did not find out the source of the problem. he gave me clues why my feet swell, so I am off on that quest.

I made chicken sandwiches and took Halos so we would not have to buy lunch. On the way back home from Huntsville we stopped in Cullman and ate at Sportsman Lake as we watched two fishermen and little bitty ducks who ended up being teenagers whose mothers had left them on the lake. The interlude was very relaxing.

The distance from Birmingham to Cullman is about 50 miles. The distance from Cullman to Huntsville is about 50 miles, also. We left at 4 pm to drive from Huntsville to Birmingham and arrived here 7 pm. Long day.

Then, we stopped at the cleanest bathroom I know of since I really had to pee. As I pulled up my pants, my buttocks felt yucky. I looked back at the commode seat and it looked as though several people had peed on the back part of the seat. It was dying and sticky. There was nothing on the front part. OH YUCK! I put my hand on my backside and the whole back of my pants was damp.

I got in the car and sat in the filthy residue. It felt so sticky and gross. When I arrived home, I stripped from the waist down. I did not want to sit on the commode here and contaminate it. But, I had to pee. Afterwards I took Lysol wipes and thoroughly cleaned the seat and then sprayed it with Lysol.

Finally, I soaped up a cloth and washed my buttocks well. Very well and long! I am still grossed out. Why did I not look at the seat thoroughly? Because I have used this commode and it is never, ever anything but pristine.  I just gave it a cursory look. Maybe I need new glasses.

Those pants go straight into the washing machine. I am going to use a plastic bag over my hand to lift them. GAH! Even though my backside is clean from soap and water, I used a Lysol wipe on myself.  I hope the Lysol wipe does not give me a rash.

Oh, This Is Good

Friday afternoon, Tommy cut my hair an inch. He was adamant he would not, but softened. I wanted the length right, so I trusted him more than a beautician I did not know.

Friday night, I told Tommy to wake me when he woke on Saturday morning. He said he had to get things ready and then wake me since it was a long way down the hall. I tried to sleep, but daylight came before I could sleep. I cam to the living room when I saw his light go on. It was 6:15...ugh! I got on the computer for a few minutes after I turned the heat to 70 F.

I washed a few dishes and happened to spy something under the little table in the kitchen and got it out. It was one of the glass sugar containers with the little flip lid that allows sugar to pour out when the container is tipped. It was pretty grungy and the sugar looked yellowish. The lid had a chunk of something on it. Yuck.

When I first talked to Tommy, he was either still groggy, hung over, or suffering low blood sugar...lol. His blood sugar was low. There was no use mentioning it since he was going to eat cereal with milk. I just went about what I had to do.

I bought the sugar container with two fingers and asked him, "What is this?" He muddled around, trying to talk. You know how someone who has had too much to drink talks and tries to hold their head right and gesticulates? Well, he sort of waved his hands around in a manner unnatural for him.

Oh, that is forty years old. What is it? "Oh, that sugar is forty years old. I tell you what--just throw away any of that crap you find in the kitchen. Just throw it out." He kept saying this over and over. "That sugar is over forty years old."

Okay, I have permission to throw out "all the crap I find in the kitchen." I will do it slowly in case he objects. Tonight, I asked him if he remembered what I brought in this morning. He has no clue. Happy Dance here.

So, Saturday morning I washed my hair after I washed dishes. Then, I boiled six eggs had banana, milk, and a boiled egg.

We left about 7:30 Saturday morning, headed to Cullman. My hair dried on the way as I fluffed it. He wanted sausage/biscuit and coffee from BK. I hate BK sausage. But, it was cheaper than Hardee' biscuit sausage. Then, he stopped and got me one from Hardees.

We drove north of Cullman to a food bank I had not been to since August, just after my house was destroyed. The woman jumped up and exclaimed, "You have lost weight! 30 pounds?" Wow, my clothes were not fitting, but it was good to hear this. I was on top of the world since showed. The weight loss showed. I got there too late for milk. We did get things I can use, including potatoes I was going to get this week.

Then, we went to PO--no mail. We drove to my house--so sad and happy to be there. He had to stop at a business that always has a clean bathroom so I could go. Then, we went south of town. I had gotten an invitation that seemed like a good idea.

On to an event held for "Homeless or Needy."

First, a free haircut for both of us. There was a volunteer beautician cutting hair. We had blood sugar and blood pressure taken. Both were high for both of us. Well, a stranger cut my hair, enough to put my blood pressure over the top. My blood sugar was barely elevated. Tommy's blood sugar and blood pressure were very high. Tommy really needed a haircut since he had it cut around the middle of September.

Then, we received a blanket, hat, and gloves. The gloves were the little short ones that look like a five-year-old would wear them. And, we got a hat. Tommy turned down hat and gloves. My hat that I chose was the kind with the pigtails/braids on each side. A friend wanted one, so I got two hats and gave back the hat and gloves with my blanket I chose. Atually, I chose a quilt and picked out a navy blue blanket for Tommy.

There was a clothes closet upstairs. They recognized Tommy could not go up there and volunteered to bring clothes to him. He got a windbreaker, pants, and sweatshirt. The pants were two inches too long. He told me he would wear them like they were.

They, they brought clothes to me after I told them my size. She suggested I might wear a smaller size since I had lost weight. Okay. I was given a brand new with tags still on it sweat pants, a cute blouse, and a coat. I still do not know if the coat fits, but it looks like it might.

During all this waiting for Thanksgiving lunch to be served, a little girl came and offered us two more blankets. I told her we had already gotten two and taken them to the car. She said, "Well, now you have two more." We thanked her and put them on a chair near us. We figured an adult would take them back since the little girl might not supposed to be giving us things. We ate the largest dinner I have ever received on Thanksgiving--lots of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, dressing with gravy, two deviled eggs, mixed vegetables, crowder peas, green beans, corn muffin, huge delicious roll. We had a choice of soft drinks, all diet. Tommy got some drink. I got water. We both had dessert--chocolate pie for me and coconut cake for him. We were stuffed!

He gave me a deviled egg and dropped the next, gave me his white turkey. I gave him the mixed vegetable, brown meat, and corn muffin. We always give to each other the food we don't care for. THEN, they brought out saucers with two rolls, corn muffin, and deviled eggs. Of course, I had a roll, deviled egg, and Tommy had another corn muffin.

As we got ready to leave, a guy who said he would come back and help us get things to the car. He insisted we get another blanket! His daughter came to me and said, "This one is Christmas blanket. I picked it just for you." Sweet little thing beamed. I smiled broadly, matching her charming smile. I love the little throw. Some of these blankets were full-sized.

There were gallon bags of goodies--water, crackers, wipes, Dove soap and body wash, toothbrush and toothpaste, candy, gum, things a homeless person might need. I cannot name all that was in the bags, but all was useful. There were two kinds of bags, one with food stuff and another with personal care and non-edible items. Oh, each had Vienna sausage. I am going to give all we will not eat or use to a place that gives these things to recovering drug addicts. Well, I may meet someone who needs it and give it to that person.

We ended up with six gallon bags of stuff, plus the clothing. The sanctuary was converted into a dining area. The room was almost filled. They asked volunteers to stand around the room, so guests could receive a plate first. I counted seventeen guests. there were at least 40 volunteers. That is why we were given three of everything. We did receive six blankets.

We got home in time for Tommy to watch a game he wanted to watch. I took a nap. Neither of us were really that hungry. So, when I got up from my nap, we had a hot dog for dinner. Later, we will have fruit.

All in all, it was a good day. Now, I need to get a piece of chocolate I received today.