My day started when I awoke about 9AM, I took a bath and was out of here about 10AM. I went to sign in at Holiday Hair in Bristol Commerce Center as I needed to get my hair evened up from the awful hair cut (wedgie) that I got in March. While I was waiting, I went next door to Radio Shack and got a battery for my auto key lock/unlocker for the car. I then went back and got a haircut by a girl named Colleen and it is a great haircut, I love it. It has finally grown in to almost a bob, pretty short but a style that looks the best on me and is very easily maintained.
I then went to Rite Aid (again 2 doors down) and got some nailpolish as my hands and nails were a wreck from all the moving and burns from cleaning under stove at old place. I put some on in the car and I hate it. Maybe it will work on one of my keys, that I want to mark. I have 2 keys that look alike (one for front door and one for my apt. door and I want to distinguish them apart. Oh well, maybe I will just take it back. I can't even take it off as my nail polish remover was thrown out during the move. I have to get some more. I then went to my car and it wasn;t a bad battery afterall, something is wrong with the auto lock system so I took the battery back to radio Shack for a refund. He checked the battery (old and new) and they were both good, so I will have to talk to John about it. I really really miss my white car but I like the "smallness" of my red one.
I then started up to Manor Care to visit mom. I had called Vicky last night and told her I would be there about 2PM. I stopped on the way at Friendly's to get a Fishamajig and an orange slushie. It was not as good as I remembered it 20 years ago. Also it was lunch time and with my hearing aids and all the people it drove me nuts as my aids ampilify. Never again! I had worked at Friendly for the Christmas help in Oxford Valley mall in 1976, I still wanted it to be the same but as they say, "You can't go home or to Friendly's again".
After that I went to JC Penneys to look at a chair I saw online (Logan Rocker Recliner). I liked it alot and it was really comfortable. I ordered it. It was $599, on sale for $299, but by the time I paid for tax, delivery charge and scotch guard 5 year protection warranty it came to $422 and change. Also if I wanted the brown color that was displayed I could have gotten it next week but I looked at the sample materials and I wanted Sage so it will take 6-8 weeks. I put it on my charge and I am getting a rent rebate of $492 in July and I will pay it off. I feel good about it, it is a great chair and I will use it alot watching TV etc. When the chair comes, soon after I will get my TV hooked up, but not until then. I want it for the Fall shows. I also want a Table- Mate for my laptop so I can stop sitting in bed with pillows which is not the most comfortable thing in the world. I really don't like Summer at all, I hate a/c but glad I have it as it is hot! Today was hot but with a breeze. Vicly said there was a horrible storm at Mom's but I only got sprinkles where I was. JC Penneys was overwhelming to me. They were renovating plus there was just so much stuff. I had sensory overload. I have always hated shopping, I don't make decision well as I like too many things and it is all too brain taxing to me. I never even made it out to the mall, but being in Penneys was the first I had been to the OV Mall in about 20 years. I don't do malls!! A shopper I am not. Any kind, anywhere!
Finally got to Manor Care to visit mom. Vicky had arrived about 20 minutes before. I have to say walking into the nursing home part, the smells and knowing my mom was there (even if she was in the Rehab part) I had an incredible wave of sadness come over me. I have worked in so many nursing homes and although I always treated everyone with such respect and dignity, it just brought home to me more that I was caring for someone's mother or father. My mom was now at that age. It was truly an eye opening experience, even more so than the last time she was there. When she first came she was in another part of the place, with the sick people, but thank God a room opened up to where she was before and she feels more confortable as she has a huge lounge area with TV etc. that she sits in all day.
I had a nice visit with mom and Vicky, showed them some photos that I took with my new camera that I still I have to read on how to work it and we talked and talked. Mom looked great but seeing her in a wheelchair broke my heart. I didn't let on my feelings but I was heartbroken. When dinner came and I wheeled her to the table and sat with her while she ate (wonderful food by the way), it was all so surreal. I wanted to be young again and I wanted my mom to be young again and be more self sufficient. I asked to see her room so I left and looked at it, she didn't go. It was really nice and large with a great TV but she doesn't like to be in the room, she says it is depressing. I read her cards, I was sad.
During the visit, I met Violet, Mom's roomate that is moving to Lamont. A very nice lady that Mom and I will visit when she gets settled. She was funny and sweet. I am happy for her, she is starting over with new furniture. She lives in Foxwood Manor now and she said it is very depressing. Violet told me that they changed the age requirements to get on the list for Lamont from 62 years old to 55 years old. It looks like after me, as I get older, some young ones will come along. It is weird to think by then I will be about 70 so 55 will seem young.
I could tell Vicky just couldn't understand what it would be like to be under the control of the government for your needs. I realy wonder sometimes how she would have handled my life. I just don't think she would have adapted as well as I have. I have not liked my situation at all but I always felt grateful for any help I received and somehow I am still alive and kicking living in the best of the worst in the housing system. I can't wait for 2 more years, not for the moving process, but to live in a clean, safe place with a laundry. It will feel so nice.
We had mom laughing talking about what I wanted of hers and we told her she has 2 years to empty the 2 dressers in the junk room as I want to paint them in there and want to take them to Lamont. They are really made well. I also want to paint my headboard that was once Kathi's, that I don't like as it is too low, anyway, I want to paint it white to match the furniture. It will be nice to see Violet's place before hand so I can plan, it will keep me dreaming of better things to come. I hope mom stays alive to see me finally settled but only if she is okay herself. She says she feels stronger but she is in no rush to leave Manor Care, as she wants to go home as strong as she did last time, but as she ages that will be harder. But also she was not as sick as she was before.
I was getting very tired and still had a long drive home so I left about 6:30PM. The traffic was great and I zoomed right home. I was going to stop and get my prescriptions and a couple groceries but only made the grocery part and then had to go to the bathroom so bad I had to come home. I will go get the prescriptions tomorrow and maybe do some laundry. I plan on visitng mom again on Thursday.
I felt bad that mom said she was bored on Memorial Day weekend as there wasn't any therapy, Janice left for vacation and Vicky was in NYC at a wedding so then I really felt sad!!! I had wished I went to visit her, but I just had to keep going. It was only on Thursday that I turned over the apt. to Frank. I just assumed someone would be there. She read a Danielle Steele book and says she really doesn't like company as it is tiring, but I could tell she loved having Vicky and I there, she always loves being with her girls.
Mom did say they had entertainment when Vicky was visiting on Monday for the Holiday. They had some country music and dancers and root beer floats, so that was nice. Mom has no idea when she will come home. Her roomate was suppose to go home last week, then changed it to this Wed, then changed that to this Friday. They make sure you are okay when you are going home to live indepentently.
I had a nice day but very reflective. It is so hard to watch your parents get old. So very hard!!
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