Sunday, March 16, 2014

Still here.

I'm still coughing but not as much, nose is almost clear and the headache is gone.  I'm certainly going for the flu jab as soon as possible.  I know is doesn't stop the flu but it does calm it down a bit and it's worse than a cold virus. 
Mother was glad to see me. She is going downhill slowly but surely and there's nothing we can do. She's quite cheerful and the mind is still okay.  After the Saturday night when even she thought she was going to die, Doc Marvin has keep a close eye on her.  Now every carer and nurse in the place knows if the paperwork for her is not up to date when he comes in, whatever time or day then they are going to get a mouthful. 
I expect to get a mouthful myself after this weekend of being extremely rude about the running of the kitchen and the quality of the food. Mother's glucose and insulin is still not stable but it doesn't matter to the kitchen. Charcoal toast and cold lunches for the past three days and my sister witnessed this as did I.  
So when I went to see her yesterday, I ordered a toasted ham and cheese sandwich for her lunch just in case she got another load of swill. I had coffee, walked through Mentone, walked through Coles then to the Home.  The sandwich was still warm when I opened it and Mum shared hers with another resident and they both said the same thing, cold lunch. It would only be 5 minutes from the kitchen to mum's room so the plate is obviously not warm to start with. It was 10 minutes before I got a word out of either of them as they drooled their way through that damn sandwich. The tea boy was berated by all when he came to remove the dishes and since he's a little squealer, it'll be on my head.  I have already threatened them with the Dept of Aged Care so now is the time to be very quiet and let them wait for the other boot to fall.

The Arfur Daley car yard is reducing its stock. The wheeler and dealer has sold the Kombi on ebay and it's going  Tuesday. The buyer wanted to know if he could drive it home so it went round the block this morning, puffing smoke but otherwise going like a dream. I had to laugh though, he had his mate with him and all I could think of was Ratty and Mole from The Wind in the Willows.  The nephew is 6'4" and the mate is about 4'6" and all I could see of him in the van were his eyes and a hat.  So I still have a '64 no wheels Falcon, a VW soft top and a black Datsun which will be sold as soon as it's turbo tuned.  This turn-around is all due to the fact that he has now bought an Audi, front in perfect condition, engine magnificent but no boot where it was rear ended.  The owner, when told the fix-up price just said forget it, the wheeler and dealer offered him cash and it was his.  He just happened to have the back end of an Audi in perfect condition on hand.   I sat through 30 photos of the ins and outs of an Audi and I have to admit it's in beautiful condition inside. Cream leather and wood trim with all the bells and whistles and a very clean engine.   When he finishes with it, it'll be perfect. 

And a big thank you to Miss O'Dyne again who told me about the trick of putting a small pipe on the tap handle to make it turn easily.  He's doing that for me next week in the usual barter for car rent space.  I just cannot grasp the tap hard enough to turn it on or turn it off so I've always got the hoses wrapped around  trees for the leaks I can't help.  He came in last week and opened up all the jars I had lined along the bench. I'd already hacked off the lid of the vegemite jar.
And wonderful in the storm last night, Mick the tree lopper had cleaned the spouting so well, I only had half a bucket of water to put on the plants.

7 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I am thrilled to hear that you are finally getting a little bit better. And that the car yard is diminishing. Slowly.
Less happy about your mama, and hoping for a gentle fade. With hot meals.
And I still want you to clone Doc Marvin.

River said...

Glad to hear you are slowly getting better and nice to hear the cars are driving off too.
Charcoal toast? I remember it well. It was the only toast hubby knew how to make.
A pipe on the tap handle sounds like a good idea, but I want photos to see how to do it. You know, for when I'm old and can't turn the tap....
My son opens jars by driving a screwdriver through the lid to break the vacuum. His fridge smells like everything that's currently holed. Mostly garlic.

Frances said...

I suppose you know, (so why am I writing it), that if you hold the jar with the lid/thread under v.hot running water, either the glass or the metal contracts,and the other one doesn't, and this aids removal - particularly if you wear a rubber glove for grip.

JahTeh said...

EC, It's particulary galling when I see the "cook" walking a hot meal down to the office tarts while mum's is sitting there cold. Every one looks forward to the two days when Roberto is in the kitchen and the meals are excellent. Both nights he makes mum egg sandwiches, not sliced but mashed with a touch of mayonnaise. So I know she eats well for 2 out of 7 days.
Don't worry when I'm really wealthy I will fly you down once a month to see the Doc.

River, according to the nephew, you can buy a proper thingy to put on taps for us with wonky hands. He hasn't done it before because he didn't know I couldn't turn them on. Men!!
I know that screwdriver rage, I've used a carving knife but only on a jar of spaghetti sauce that's used immediately.

Frances, hot running water takes too long, I usually light the gas and run the lid through the flame. I have a rubber grippy thing which I can't live without. My greatest hate is child proof pill bottles. They should make a separate batch for us. I usually ask the pharmacist to crack the lid on the arthritis pills. I have a bottle of Drano to use but can't get the lid off so no clean drain in the shower yet.

River said...

I usually shake the jar a lot, upside down too, to redistribute the air in there, then bash it around the edge of the lid a few times with a knife handle or something else with a bit of weight in it. Then the jar often opens easily enough.
Drano is like Harpic, one of those bottles where you have to "squeeze here while turning". As if we could!! I turn those lids as far as I can then lever them over the little hump with a screwdriver or knife blade. Once the lid is off, I turn it up so I can see the tiny protruding bits that hold it closed and slice them off. Tricky, but I do it.

Ann ODyne said...

Just remembered the perfect jar lid solution: One time in Aisle 10 an elderly lady asked me to open the jam she just chose because she knew she couldn't when she got home.

JahTeh said...

River, are right you are about those 'squeeze here and turn' bottles. My pills are in two of those and it drives me to drink trying to get those lids off.

Annie O, the fucknuckle at the pharmacy told me he couldn't crack those bottles in case I sued him if something happened to them. So close to stabbing the bastard it wasn't funny. One of the assistants did it for me, I don't think he was very popular.