Tom's Diary

Today’s Chores

• Paying all pending bills
• Cat duty
• Showering
• Call in any prescriptions Mom needs

Log 

07:40 AM: I awoke to another dreary and dark gray day today.  No matter though because I get my sunshine right here in these blogs; I’m really starting to enjoy this writing thing. 

07:53 AM: So, it’s time to get started…

09:48 AM: I have my first cup of coffee in hand. 

11:00 AM Working Mom’s prescription issues.  Click   here   for more details.

12:15 PM: Tidied up my bedroom; put loose items away and moved any loose equipment manuals not immediately needed in the bedroom, downstairs to my permanent files.

12:30 PM: [Emmy] left a sweater here that has a missing button.  Unfortunately, we have no buttons that match the others on it.  So Mom is going to take a button off the sleeve and put it on the front, near the top, where the empty spot is.  Then, she’ll remove the now odd-ball button from the other sleeve, and sew on a matching pair of buttons to both sleeves.

01:20 PM: Added the  following post(s) to this, the   Tom’s Diary   blog:

•  Staplers Hurt  

03:30 PM: Just learned that sister Jojo is taking Mom and me  shopping   tonight. So I’m going along as well, as I have some shopping to do that I’d like to complete immediately.  Since I don’t know when my next opportunity to go will arise, I’m going to cancel out of the Lions Club meeting this evening.

05:45 PM: I called [Lady Sunshine] to let her know that I would not be attending the Lions Club meeting, though I did assure her that I would pay for the dinner since I’d previously told her that I would be there.  She was okay with that.

09:55 PM: Just got home from tonight’s   shopping trip,  and everything is put away.

10:30 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  She was pleased to learn that we found some buttons for her sweater that match it quite well.  Mom will sew these on before [Emmy's] next visit, later this month.

11:40 PM: Worked on the blogs for an hour or so, entering the details of our  shopping trip   tonight, and categorizing a few posts as well.

11:43 PM: Posted the list of today’s post revisions,   here. 

12:35 AM: Watched the 2009-12-03 episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.

12:45 PM: Well, it’s been another very full day, and once more, I’m headed off to bed in my chilly bedroom — just how I like it — to recharge for another day tomorrow.  So take care, and I’ll catch you right back here then.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Mom’s Status: 2009-12-03
• Post Revisions: 2009-12-03
• Shopping Trip: 2009-12-03

Today, I either added or modified the following posts in this, the   Tom’s Diary    blog for improved brevity, clarity, categorization, appearance, indexing, and search-ability:

Tom Hesley

06:45 PM: First, we hit Wal Mart, where we purchased the following items:

• General Electric slow cooker
• Christmas ribbon (5 roles)
• Pepperidge Farm pumpernickel bread (1 loaf)
• Scissors (1 pair)
• Miniature Christmas stockings (10)
• Latch storage boxes (2), per the  Household Organization, 2009   effort
• Smaller latch storage boxes (6), per the  Household Organization, 2009   effort
• 18-Gallon storage totes (5), per the  Household Organization, 2009   effort
• Shoe box-style storage boxes (21), per the  Household Organization, 2009   effort

Total cost: $136.88

Then, we went to Joann Fabric, where Mom purchased the following items:

• Miniature, artificial pine tree (2)
• Candy
• Buttons for [Emmy's] sweater

Total cost: $31.30

We hit Chili’s then for dinner.

Total cost: $38.00

Finally, we stopped at Boscov’s, looking for a lighted star or snow flake to place on the west peak of the house.  However, they had none.

Total cost: $0.00

Grand total:$206,18

Tom Hesley 

Related Posts

• Household Organization, 2009

Log

07:45 AM: I heard her moaning in  pain a few times overnight and her lethargy is more pronounced since we still have no glucometer.  I do hope she takes better care of the new one when it gets here.  I just don’t know how many reminders she needs to experience before she really gets the idea that keeping her sugar under tight control makes all the difference in her mood and overall health. 

08:30 AM: Mom needs more NPH insulin.  We asked her PCP to call this into a local pharmacy.  I’ll find out if that’s been done this morning.

09:40 AM: Dispensed her morning meds.

09:45 AM: I’m concerned that we’ve been unable to read her blood-sugar for going on a week now, because the new glucometer has not yet arrived.  So I suggested that if the machine does not show up in the next day, that we need to head to the drug store and buy one, with cash.  Of course, her response, though predictable, irritated me nonetheless, just as predictably.  She said in a notably condescending tone, as though she thought that I was crazy for even making the suggestion in the first place, “I’m not buying a glucometer;  they cost too much money!”  Background: She gets them for free if she orders them directly through Accu-Chek.  The problem with this approach however, as we’ve seen,  is that it takes so long to obtain a new glucometer, when we could, within minutes, purchase one down the street.   So I don’t understand why she so willingly endures the pain and lethargy we’ve observed over the past several days, just to save a few bucks. Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhh! 

09:50 AM: You know, in my opinion, she really needs to get her priorities in order because she’s been sickly ever since she ruined her other unit late last week.  She seems to deny the supreme importance of taking regular blood sugar readings, at least four times a day.  Plus, she only sporadically and reluctantly acknowledges the obvious connection, between how good she feels and how well she controls her blood sugar levels.  The better she controls them, the better she feels.  Yet we often must remind her of this, and re argue the point besides.  So, as a result, sometimes I think she’s being intentionally stupid in order to avoid spending more than absolutely necessary, for things as mundane and boring as her diabetic equipment and testing supplies.  I’m highly frustrated at this recurring penny-wise, pound-foolish attitude which I frequently perceive in her.  Thus, I need a little break; big time!

10:30 AM: Our primary pharmacy has not yet received the prescription for Mom’s NPH insulin.  However, there is a current prescription on file at another place, which is closer to us actually. I’ll just reorder one vile there, and we’ll work on getting the prescription going at our preferred drug store in Altoona. 

11:38 AM: the NPH insulin has been ordered.  Otherwise, we’re well-stocked on her meds for this week.

12:15 PM: Mom is up and about and in pretty good spirits too.

12:35 PM: Mom just got off the phone with Accu-Chek about the missing glucometer.  They say that it was delivered to our kitchen porch yesterday.  Well, I looked out there yesterday, and again today, and I find no packages.  What’s probably happened is that they delivered it to the wrong house.  You think they’d have people sign for packages like this before they leave them somewhere.  But often, they don’t; this has happened to us before with numerous other packages.  So she’ll have to order another; once again, here we have more days without readings.  Let’s just go and buy one already. 

02:15 PM: Her new glucometer arrived sometime this afternoon.  I just retrieved it from the west porch.  Also, it appears that her old meter works again, now that it’s dried out.  So maybe now, we have a spare unit for pinch times after all.

02:30 PM: Dispensed Mom’s lunch-time meds.

02:40 PM: Blood sugar: 221.  Covered this and her lunch with 18 units of log insulin.

04:00 PM: Sister Christine stopped by to visit Mom for an hour or so.  We all enjoyed a nice chat.

05:40 PM: Dispensed Mom’s evening meds. 

06:15 PM: Mom, sister Jojo, and I went shopping and ate at Chili’s.

10:00 PM: Covered Mom’s dinner with 20 units of log insulin.

10:05 PM: Mom was elligible for a free glucometer from Wal Mart.  So we now have the backup unit I wanted.  Sweet!  No pun intended.

10:45 PM: Dispensed night time meds and insulin. 

Tom Hesley 

Related Posts

• Shopping Trip: 2009-12-03
• Today’s Business: 2009-12-03