Today’s Business: 2010-12-07
Today’s Activities
- Shower. DONE.
- Cat duty. DONE.
- Do all (3) pending loads of white laundry. DONE.
Log
09:00 AM: I’m up. Today, for the fourth day in a row, it’s overcast outside, with temperatures ranging in the mid twenties. No rain is falling currently; although there is the occasional snow flake flitting about.
09:45 AM: Got Mom up and dispensed her morning meds. These days, she has a cup of cranberry juice for breakfast, to help combat her UTI.
10:30 AM: Mom’s physical therapist arrived.
12:00 PM: The PT worked through five or six exercises with Mom. But Mom was quite unhappy with the situation; apparently seeing no improvement in her leg muscle strength, while from the therapist’s perspective, there has been highly noticeable improvement. She gave Mom several pep talks. But Mom, so frustrated that these small incremental increases in strength aren’t bigger than they are, became frustrated, anxious, and started to cry. In the end, she declared, “I’m done,” and did not want to continue with the workout. If she is going to get stronger, it will probably be more helpful if she performs activities as part of her regular routine of living, and not so much performing specific exercises. She doesn’t seem to enjoy exercising for the mere sake of exercising. She never has. But nonetheless, though she hasn’t done all of the physical challenges to build up her legs in the most efficient manner, she is nonetheless getting stronger. Hopefully, just her buzzing about the house in her chair will increase her muscle strength enough to enable her to stand and eventually walk again. We’ll see.
01:00 PM: Heading out on a shopping trip to get some flea medicine for the cats and some groceries. Mom’s high school friend Mary Kay is driving me. Hmmm. What would I do without generous and compassionate people in my life? Ooooh. I know. I’d starve! 
Back later.
03:30 PM: We’re back.
04:45 PM: Watched today’s episode of The Young and the Restless on the DVR and then took a little power nap.
05:00 PM: Mom’s friend Debbie visited. Since I went shopping with Mary Kay, we won’t need to go tonight. So Debbie gets a break.
06:15 PM: Sister Diane dropped by to drop off some Christmas wreaths for Mom. It turns out that she left her wallet here. I called her to inform her of this so that she wouldn’t drive herself crazy later trying to find it. She knows about it now and will pick it up tomorrow.
10:10 PM: Talked with [Emmy] for an extended period this evening on the speaker phone, and while doing that, I added Susan Boyle’s The Gift and Olivia Newton-John’s Christmas Wish albums to my music library.
10:15 PM: Today’s repeater song: Christmas On My Radio by Olivia Newton-John. She sings of many of the things she does at Christmas time while listening to all that great Christmas music that many radio stations play during this time of year. I really identified with this story because for the past several years at least, [Emmy] and I are big fans of the Christmas music. We enjoy guessing which artist is performing each song they play. It’s fun and stokes the Christmas spirit.
12:00 AM: Worked the DJ Gig: 2010-12-31 preparations.
12:30 AM: Assisted Mom in getting to bed and dispensed her night meds. Her bedroom is nice and toasty. In fact, you’d not know it’s cold outside from there, unless you get near the windows. The heat is working pretty well this winter season; better in fact, since I loosened the metal duct work for a cold air return vent on her east wall. This vent was never actually connected to the furnace, and it just so happens that it’s right above the gas heater in the back of the basement. Opening up that duct allows warm air from that heater to rise into Mom’s bedroom. That chased the chill away there.
01:00 AM: Bed time for me. So good night and take care.
Received Mail and Shipments
- Promo Only’s Country Radio music series; the 2011-01 edition.
- Weekly coupon mailer.
- Confirmation letter that I’m now enrolled in my new health care insurance plan.
- Offer for Mom to enroll in Geisinger Gold health insurance. Not at this time, thanks.
- Offer from DirecTV to switch to their television, phone, and Internet bundle. Not at this time, thanks.