Ayn's Multiple World

Ok, girl steady ...

Good morning. It’s me … it’s already 9:20 am. I’ve been dealing with computer stuff most of the morning. When I came in Sr. wanted me to put some programs in the old computer in the workshop and then get people in there using it. Oh man … Didn’t really want to do all that because it means extra supervision, but it’s good for the clients, so we’ll try it out. The problem though is that most programs don’t work without a disk and I knew it was going to be a problem leaving the disks in the room, so I asked Sister when she came in hoping she would let me not use the programs, but she said well you can just bring them in with you every morning.

ARRGH! That’s one more thing I gotta be responsible for.

I’m not real big on responsibility you know!

I’ll have to think through a plan so I don’t go nutty. Maybe just one person at a time, but I’ll bring one disk and then test everyone out on it. The computer is put in an awkward corner so it’s hard to be back there giving instruction. But, we’ll see what we can do … Maybe if there isn’t work in the workshop we can plan to go over some lessons … like with the big bundle – math/money program. Try to get more people caught up on it. Hmm, I wonder if I could do a story with them with the Oregon Trail. I only played that one a bit, but its one of the CD’s from Encyclopedia. That be useful, and I could maybe do some other programs from there.

But, for right now let’s try one at a time. We’ll test them on Big bundle. Maybe
then Sr. Florine could work with the lessons after I figure out where everyone is at.

I’d rather write in the morning, and I’ll only be able to do things on the computer when the behaviors are all in order. This morning one of my problem people came in cranky and then rattled the cage of another one who comes in cranky just twice a week. That carried over until Sister came in. She did the same thing as me … that problem was THREE DAYS AGO!! Get over it!

Good advice.

Well out of there for now. So where are we?

Well, the fondest part of my heart is a good place to start. Of course, we’re talking about Sweetie Pie. We talked before I left here for my doctor’s appointment. He said he was going to take me out to dinner, so we said fine … it’s always nice to be with my smoochie. I didn’t get home until just at 5 pm and he called right away. He knew my phone was not charged and he’d been calling every 15 minutes knowing that I would hook up the phone when I got home. He’s so smart. He had to take care of his tire because it had picked up a couple of nails. That’s what he gets for being back in the country. So I met him at the tire place and we left the car while we ate dinner at a diner two doors down. It was a nice soft rain and we were feeling pretty mellow. Just looking in our love’s eyes. 

He seemed kinda down and I worried over him a bit … He talked about a few things … maybe a little more after he ate. He’d had lunch already so wasn’t real hungry. I had a vegetable skillet with pancakes which turned out to be good, but obviously too much. After dinner we went back and picked up his car and then he had to take a shower. I watched some news while he was doing that … and then he suggested … hmm, how did that go? Well, some way or another and you could just figure with that nicely warm clean body we’d want to do something with it! Hehehe ok, ok … it was a good night AND after we got about ½ an hour of rubbing him where he talked softly and sometimes just breathed before he had to get going. It was like the olden days when we’d make love and then he’d get dressed and leaved. You can imagine we’re not to happy about the leavin part, but we are trying hard not to give him a hard time.

Rich wants to put things off like well you know … Rich! He really needs to call the social service place and try to get a case worker.

Aha … I just called sweetie. He said he would call the case worker. He says that his mother is roaming during the night, and that something has to be done. He says she didn’t drink as much he thought because he called her a couple of times before he got out there. And, even though he said don’t wait dinner for me – she waited dinner anyway the table was all set. I could tell that pulled on his heart strings. I think he’s going to have a hard time coming back, because his mother would enjoy him being there so much. I have to applaud his apparent love for mother.

He talked of her yelling and screaming and I asked him if she was saying bad things to him. He says no, but there is that hesitation in his voice. I’m not sure of all his worries out there. It is like Rich to hide things from me especially if he knew I’d get upset.

But, then there is the new thing. Did I tell you yet? He told his mother if she watched her drinking he would bring me out about Thanksgiving. WooHOO … That’s a big deal. Last night he said something that led me to believe I’d meet his mother, her husband AND Rich’s brother. WoW! That would be something. I don’t know if she’d been trying to get that or what’s going on with Rich, but I’m as excited as I’m scared. I know I tend to mumble so I’m not sure what kind of communicative problems we’re going to have. I will try hard to speak loud and clear. There was something I saw on the TV the other day.

Hmm, had to take care for a moment. Sister needed help again with her computer.

It’s actually her printer. I’m not sure what’s wrong with the connection, but I showed her how to send her documents to me via email so I could print them out. I’m hoping Rosa will come back and know what to do with her printer. I told her I’d have shut it off and turned it back to see if it would self-correct, but I don’t have her password. That’s a sore point. If she wants my help, she has to trust somebody. She likes to blame whoever was on her computer for breaking it. So everyone is locked out. Eh. Tough to fix problems that way, but she’s the boss.

Anyway as to his mother I’m hoping that even if she doesn’t get services that she can talk things over with Rich. I keep telling him he’s got to know his options.

She’s got to know her options. I don’t think he’s necessarily truthful with her because he’s not telling her how serious things are with the other side of the family. He won’t even tell me exactly what they are saying. I think its too much for him to think about and he’s then blocking it. I can’t blame him for dissociating, but things still have to happen. He told me that when she ran out of alcohol that Bud her husband went out to get more. If she’s going to over-drink eventually she’ll fall again … and then someone has to be there to pick her up and bandage her wounds OR take her to the hospital.

I know that he wants to give her freedom, but she is not being physically responsible. I don’t know if she’s ok with 2-3 drinks or if she drinks 7-8 or more. It’s hard to tell. It’s a good thing he’s monitoring the situation though at least he’s able to see for himself what is going on rather than hoping for other people to give him information. His daughter said when she was out there her grandmother had started drinking out of a coffee cup before she got out of bed.

Rich says she wakes up late … watches a couple cooking shows, takes a nap watches some more TV makes dinner and then goes back to bed to be getting up during the night. I think if he wanted to stop that … he’d have to convince her to give up some of those midday naps. BUT, I don’t know if he can regulate her schedule.

He says she has nothing to do nor does she want to do anything, but I think that could be developed and that she needs a girl type person to talk to. We’d have to figure it out. BUT, I know she’s like Rich … she’s stubborn. She also might feel sorry for her situation. I asked Rich about audio books, but he said she’s not interested in it. Yeeks … not interested in ANY books?!! We’re just thinking of what someone blind and deaf could do. The audio books could be turned up and there is a huge variety. My Grandma did crossword puzzles, real life puzzles, watched her sports, and cooked. I think Rich’s Mom watches football or baseball too with Bud.

If she was my Grandma she’d be doing knitting and crocheting without seeing it. My Grandma sewed all her life. But, even my grandma was limited because she didn’t like to go outside. I think she even stopped enjoying going out to dinner because it was hard for her to manipulate her walker.

We’ll have to see what Rich does with his mother. Or what she’ll accept. But, I’m pretty sure something is going to need being done – because safety counts the most and right now they are only taking care of the problem defensively – picking her up after falling, they are not keeping her from falling. But, it’s hard to know what’s best until talking to a local expert. Hmm, I think she does go somewhere though to get her hair done and she goes to church. Hmm, I wonder if she’d listen to the Bible on audio. Maybe that would interest her? I don’t know … Rich talked about the swearing yesterday as we were talking. I looked at him and said … does she use the F-word? And, he says she uses them all. I think his brother does too. Rich rarely swears …. You’d have to get him really mad. I don’t recall him ever swearing at me – thinking he may have sworn though at a few employees. Just it’s going to be a major change …

Yelling, swearing, drinking, smoking, blind, and deaf. Hmm, but I can do it, right? I can do it for Rich AND myself. I still want to meet the person that raised my baby. I’m pretty sure she has some softer corners. If Rich and I can handle each other, maybe I’m already groomed to handling her too. I hope she knows I’m not going to be like Rich’s wife. They stopped talking to each other long ago.

I don’t know what’s up with that … Just know I have to be careful. I want her to like me under it all – even if she has to yell things to make me understand. I think Rich should let her meet me. I think she needs a friend. Us Minnesota people like our old people. Hehehe.

Hmm, we’re running into a few things here now. Sister has been back, my problem client has been here and the OIG person to take care of the abuse of the other client is on her way. Pshwoo. It’s like someone wants me to be working.

We did what we needed to do in picking up the office and making sure everything was ok for a visitor. We even worked on Behavioral Management/Human Rights Committee Minutes for a bit. I really have to do them too. The meeting was August 19th, and it’s already October 8th, 2008. The next meeting is November 18th. Ok, ok … calm down … just got ourselves a little excited … we were still picking up and found some V8 juice. That’s a good idea. Settle the stomach.

Rich said that he might be here this afternoon. That be nice. But, I shouldn’t have to wait for Rich to be getting work done. Just that I’m going to need finishing my writing here so I can do real work. Man … that’s not settling well. I know I have to deal with all that, but not maybe right now with OIG coming in. They are like Police detectives over the human services field. Ok, you … let’s not get nutty. Just got to look over and start doing things … it will come back to you.

Promise! Shhh, no complaining please … We promise … you can do it.

posted by Ann Marie @ 10/08/2008 11:21:00 AM Comments: 0