I've written nearly 7,000 words in the past seven days, so clearly the inspiration to string a series of words together is still there. Or here. Or somewhere. So yes, a flurry of activity utilizing virtual pen and paper… some of which I shall reveal here, right before your eyes.
By the way, I am officially stocked with medical supplies, probably enough so to last through the end of this calendar year. Yes, I am fully loaded. So thanks to the people who I have already thanked. I am now officially asking that nobody send any more supplies! My side of the room is absolutely full (including my nightstand, dresser drawers, and especially the floor in the corner of my room). Perhaps I need a plant of some sort, maybe a geranium!?
No no no I'm just kidding. There are already enough things dying here, in the nursing home. And sadly, that includes Jeff. If you remember, he was my first and original roommate.
I happened to have hung out with him recently at one of the group events (perhaps it was six weeks ago, before the covid-19 lockdowns came back into play).
And we sat in the cafeteria discussing this and that. And he seemed to be in a good place. He was very positive-minded and personable. And perhaps even jovial. He looked pretty damn good, having lost a fair amount of weight. Good color, too. But the best sign of all was that he was being manually moved around by staff (in a wheelchair), after having been strictly bed bound for the duration of his stay up to that point.
So, farewell to Jeff. I'm glad I got to see him happy, joyous, and free on that one particular day - smiling all over the place.
Dialing Back into Late Last Week
Note: The following issue was resolved, but..
The nursing home decided to cancel my upcoming appointments with the gastroenterologist (I've been waiting 4 months on that one) and the oral surgeon, because Mercy Care said —-- ummm … redacted / removed several paragraphs because, nobody needs to read about the logistical administrative crap that got resolved anyway, right? Each of you is likely dealing with your own red tape. I did leave a few snippets behind for cohesive purposes. So feel free to use your imagination.
3 … 2 …. 1 …
Anyway, I spent the morning being angry as hell. But now I'm merely simmering. Angrily. Bubbling beneath the surface. Which is a vast improvement versus me dropping f-bombs at the top of my lungs. Why not, though?
Note: I've gone blammo on maybe … three separate occasions (here at the nursing home). And each time, the results have been favorable. I do not enjoy "losing it" but sometimes that's the only way to get things done in an institution such as this.
Resolute
Somehow miraculously that got resolved. The issue. It took about four hours. Four angry hours (on my end) until they were able to come back to me with the preferred outcome set in place. Of course on the next day, and not trusting the results, I followed up with the assigned transport company myself. I wanted to confirm that next week's appointment was all set up. So I called them. On the phone. And the people of the transport company answered the phone. It sounded like a woman. And she talked like a woman. And she had womanly qualities. But who knows, she may have been a part-time aardvark in disguise. Or an unsung armadillo.
So I asked this entity to confirm the details regarding my scheduled transport. And she starts reading off the time, the date, and the destination. The destination? Yes! Something was off. Something was way wrong.They were sending me out to Apache Junction.
Do any of you know where Apache junction is located? Well, probably not. If you are facing the Phoenix (and vicinity) map directly, it's way off to the lower right side. And sometimes (because it's so far away) it's not even on the map! Nope, most of the time it's not in our vicinity! Nobody ever goes to Apache Junction on purpose, unless they're trekking to annual Renaissance Festival event.
There's nothing particularly wrong with that locale. It's kind of nice. Kind of neat. Nestled up against the Superstition Mountains. And sure, they've had lots of flooding issues of late. Flooding problems. Flash floods careening down the hillsides, crushing the village below. But that's the sort of thing I find interesting. Hydrology. The power of nature. Flow-things. Earth science things.
Anyway, I corrected the misinterpretation. And also made sure the outfit could accommodate my partially reclined wheelchair transport. Yes, the womanly woman suggested they could. And she also recommended I call her directly anytime I need medical transport (in the future), rather than going through the nursing home staff.
So I told her, "As long as you don't kill me on this initial jaunt into South Scottsdale, I may willingly and once again utilize your services."
She chuckled, because that was the right thing to do (in a customer service sense). And I think each of us should strive to do the right thing. Why wouldn't we?
Hmmm…
Well, let's get into that - the people who strive to do the wrong thing…
Here at the nursing home, we are in lockdown. But there are non-believers amongst us. That unfortunately includes staff members.
Why is that a problem? It's because the staff members wield the power of truth. And justice. And the American Way©.
So yes, the staff members are high on the totem pole of expected truth telling. Although, it can be a rough climb if you're starting at the base. And each of the residents are situated that way. Stuck down below, yet rarely striving, as most are incapable of doing so.
Here's the thing - the nursing home entity cannot legally quarantine residents at, or within, the nursing home. Basically, if you do not wish to participate in the quarantine, and if you do not wish to wear a mask, you don't have to. They aren't going to throw you in jail.
And so, some of the residents have figured this out. Two in particular.
One of these guys is the thief. He's the one that goes into other people's rooms (or the offices here) and steals things. Expensive things. Heck, the police have been called out a couple of different times. But the police can't do anything. Because really, he never leaves the building with the stolen items. So the staff retrieves the goods, and if they can, returns the goods to wherever they came from. But frequently, they cannot identify from which area or which room they came.
Anyway, he's one of the guys that openly parades around the village, not caring a wee bit that we are under quarantine. Or that we have positive Covid-19 cases in our unit. Which I suppose, isn't surprising, based upon his thieving ways. All for one, and all for one's self.
Then there's the guy on the red scooter. My "almost'' roommate.
Last week they gave me the option of having either Red Scooter Guy move in with me, or Angry Raspy Guy. And I chose Red Scooter Guy because he's not angry. I already had Angry Jeff (rest in peace). Apparently Red Scooter Guy did not want to move in with me. And neither did Angry Raspy Guy. I did not take it personally, as they likely have their reasons. Everybody has reasons, plays the angles, or has excuses.
Anyway, I've still got my room to myself. And that's fine by me. While the other two still have each other.
Oh, another thing about Red Scooter Guy that you need to know. He and his girlfriend moved here at the same time from a different nursing home. A location down the street. Apparently they were having relationship issues due to Red Scooter Guy having had a couple of additional girlfriends on the side, and Blue Scooter Girl not liking that. As a result, there was drama. Multiple women fighting over their Red Scooter prize. So the Scooter Twins defected. And despite both of her unit being in quarantine, they both cross-contaminate… so that they may openly love, honor, and cherish each other all across the nursing home village.
They are both in their 50s. Or 60s. Or something. And I guess love is all that really matters. You know?
People want what they want. And I am likely that way as well, regarding certain situations and scenarios. But then also, there are staff members here who directly contribute to the delinquency of elderly residents.
The Inside Dirt
Okay, I won't turn this into a political matter, but there is a prominent staff member who doesn't believe in anything - including covid, any type of science, nor much logic. Unless… it suits her needs and desires. And apparently, I am one of her needs and desires. Go figure. Ha!
Well, she's been encouraging me to break the law of the land. And she's also been encouraging others to push the boundaries. She doesn't feel that any of us should be wearing masks (especially including staff members). And she openly suggests this to all who will listen. The problem being, some of these elderly folks are easily persuaded, especially by all-knowing staff members, such as she. I mean, that's the point. The staff have been hired to protect and serve.
Eh, I won't get deep down deep into the nitty gritty, but one of the higher ups is aware of the situation(s).
And that's that. End Part I.
I apologize if it seems I'm complaining a lot. This is my attempt to simply lay it all out across the floor. Feel free to join the puzzle pieces together as you see fit. Overall, things are positive and working themselves out the way they need to right now. And mostly, I practice acceptance, regarding all matters. And I hope you are finding your way through your daily obstacles as well.
Take care everybody,
Howard
By the way, I am officially stocked with medical supplies, probably enough so to last through the end of this calendar year. Yes, I am fully loaded. So thanks to the people who I have already thanked. I am now officially asking that nobody send any more supplies! My side of the room is absolutely full (including my nightstand, dresser drawers, and especially the floor in the corner of my room). Perhaps I need a plant of some sort, maybe a geranium!?
No no no I'm just kidding. There are already enough things dying here, in the nursing home. And sadly, that includes Jeff. If you remember, he was my first and original roommate.
I happened to have hung out with him recently at one of the group events (perhaps it was six weeks ago, before the covid-19 lockdowns came back into play).
And we sat in the cafeteria discussing this and that. And he seemed to be in a good place. He was very positive-minded and personable. And perhaps even jovial. He looked pretty damn good, having lost a fair amount of weight. Good color, too. But the best sign of all was that he was being manually moved around by staff (in a wheelchair), after having been strictly bed bound for the duration of his stay up to that point.
So, farewell to Jeff. I'm glad I got to see him happy, joyous, and free on that one particular day - smiling all over the place.
Dialing Back into Late Last Week
Note: The following issue was resolved, but..
The nursing home decided to cancel my upcoming appointments with the gastroenterologist (I've been waiting 4 months on that one) and the oral surgeon, because Mercy Care said —-- ummm … redacted / removed several paragraphs because, nobody needs to read about the logistical administrative crap that got resolved anyway, right? Each of you is likely dealing with your own red tape. I did leave a few snippets behind for cohesive purposes. So feel free to use your imagination.
3 … 2 …. 1 …
Anyway, I spent the morning being angry as hell. But now I'm merely simmering. Angrily. Bubbling beneath the surface. Which is a vast improvement versus me dropping f-bombs at the top of my lungs. Why not, though?
Note: I've gone blammo on maybe … three separate occasions (here at the nursing home). And each time, the results have been favorable. I do not enjoy "losing it" but sometimes that's the only way to get things done in an institution such as this.
Resolute
Somehow miraculously that got resolved. The issue. It took about four hours. Four angry hours (on my end) until they were able to come back to me with the preferred outcome set in place. Of course on the next day, and not trusting the results, I followed up with the assigned transport company myself. I wanted to confirm that next week's appointment was all set up. So I called them. On the phone. And the people of the transport company answered the phone. It sounded like a woman. And she talked like a woman. And she had womanly qualities. But who knows, she may have been a part-time aardvark in disguise. Or an unsung armadillo.
So I asked this entity to confirm the details regarding my scheduled transport. And she starts reading off the time, the date, and the destination. The destination? Yes! Something was off. Something was way wrong.They were sending me out to Apache Junction.
Do any of you know where Apache junction is located? Well, probably not. If you are facing the Phoenix (and vicinity) map directly, it's way off to the lower right side. And sometimes (because it's so far away) it's not even on the map! Nope, most of the time it's not in our vicinity! Nobody ever goes to Apache Junction on purpose, unless they're trekking to annual Renaissance Festival event.
There's nothing particularly wrong with that locale. It's kind of nice. Kind of neat. Nestled up against the Superstition Mountains. And sure, they've had lots of flooding issues of late. Flooding problems. Flash floods careening down the hillsides, crushing the village below. But that's the sort of thing I find interesting. Hydrology. The power of nature. Flow-things. Earth science things.
Anyway, I corrected the misinterpretation. And also made sure the outfit could accommodate my partially reclined wheelchair transport. Yes, the womanly woman suggested they could. And she also recommended I call her directly anytime I need medical transport (in the future), rather than going through the nursing home staff.
So I told her, "As long as you don't kill me on this initial jaunt into South Scottsdale, I may willingly and once again utilize your services."
She chuckled, because that was the right thing to do (in a customer service sense). And I think each of us should strive to do the right thing. Why wouldn't we?
Hmmm…
Well, let's get into that - the people who strive to do the wrong thing…
Here at the nursing home, we are in lockdown. But there are non-believers amongst us. That unfortunately includes staff members.
Why is that a problem? It's because the staff members wield the power of truth. And justice. And the American Way©.
So yes, the staff members are high on the totem pole of expected truth telling. Although, it can be a rough climb if you're starting at the base. And each of the residents are situated that way. Stuck down below, yet rarely striving, as most are incapable of doing so.
Here's the thing - the nursing home entity cannot legally quarantine residents at, or within, the nursing home. Basically, if you do not wish to participate in the quarantine, and if you do not wish to wear a mask, you don't have to. They aren't going to throw you in jail.
And so, some of the residents have figured this out. Two in particular.
One of these guys is the thief. He's the one that goes into other people's rooms (or the offices here) and steals things. Expensive things. Heck, the police have been called out a couple of different times. But the police can't do anything. Because really, he never leaves the building with the stolen items. So the staff retrieves the goods, and if they can, returns the goods to wherever they came from. But frequently, they cannot identify from which area or which room they came.
Anyway, he's one of the guys that openly parades around the village, not caring a wee bit that we are under quarantine. Or that we have positive Covid-19 cases in our unit. Which I suppose, isn't surprising, based upon his thieving ways. All for one, and all for one's self.
Then there's the guy on the red scooter. My "almost'' roommate.
Last week they gave me the option of having either Red Scooter Guy move in with me, or Angry Raspy Guy. And I chose Red Scooter Guy because he's not angry. I already had Angry Jeff (rest in peace). Apparently Red Scooter Guy did not want to move in with me. And neither did Angry Raspy Guy. I did not take it personally, as they likely have their reasons. Everybody has reasons, plays the angles, or has excuses.
Anyway, I've still got my room to myself. And that's fine by me. While the other two still have each other.
Oh, another thing about Red Scooter Guy that you need to know. He and his girlfriend moved here at the same time from a different nursing home. A location down the street. Apparently they were having relationship issues due to Red Scooter Guy having had a couple of additional girlfriends on the side, and Blue Scooter Girl not liking that. As a result, there was drama. Multiple women fighting over their Red Scooter prize. So the Scooter Twins defected. And despite both of her unit being in quarantine, they both cross-contaminate… so that they may openly love, honor, and cherish each other all across the nursing home village.
They are both in their 50s. Or 60s. Or something. And I guess love is all that really matters. You know?
People want what they want. And I am likely that way as well, regarding certain situations and scenarios. But then also, there are staff members here who directly contribute to the delinquency of elderly residents.
The Inside Dirt
Okay, I won't turn this into a political matter, but there is a prominent staff member who doesn't believe in anything - including covid, any type of science, nor much logic. Unless… it suits her needs and desires. And apparently, I am one of her needs and desires. Go figure. Ha!
Well, she's been encouraging me to break the law of the land. And she's also been encouraging others to push the boundaries. She doesn't feel that any of us should be wearing masks (especially including staff members). And she openly suggests this to all who will listen. The problem being, some of these elderly folks are easily persuaded, especially by all-knowing staff members, such as she. I mean, that's the point. The staff have been hired to protect and serve.
Eh, I won't get deep down deep into the nitty gritty, but one of the higher ups is aware of the situation(s).
And that's that. End Part I.
I apologize if it seems I'm complaining a lot. This is my attempt to simply lay it all out across the floor. Feel free to join the puzzle pieces together as you see fit. Overall, things are positive and working themselves out the way they need to right now. And mostly, I practice acceptance, regarding all matters. And I hope you are finding your way through your daily obstacles as well.
Take care everybody,
Howard
