112105 Monday

11/21/05 Monday
     I will have to go back and try to fill in the rest of yesterdays entry. It is 9:33 AM. An overcast day with a cold front coming in. They are talking snow maybe tomorrow but for sure on Wednesday. I am doing very well this morning. My typing is much better and faster. This is one of the things I can use to gauge my brain activity. I’d say I am at a strong 8 on the Bob scale.
     It is good that I am sharp because I get to take Fred’s car back to the dealership today and get some answers about it. After that I am to take Fred to change his insurance. Better get going.

11/22/05 Tuesday
     I had a slow down yesterday and am not to speedy this morning. It was a real busy day that kept me from getting to this journal and when things slowed enough so I could sit down at this computer I slowed down. Right now I couldn’t tell you what time that happened and the rest of the evening is fuzzy to me but I remember what I did that morning.
     I took Fred’s car to Ed Schmidt (Is that how it’s spelled?) so they could get a front plate on it. This had been a Michigan car because they don’t use a license plate in front so there was a panel in place to smooth out the bumper. I also planned on getting upset about where the fender was flared out.
     When I got there I wasn’t sure if I should pull up to the big overhead doors that were marked in big red letters “SERVICE ENTRANCE” or needed to park and walk in. I erred on the safe side and parked. I went in to find someone in charge who would take care of all this. Yeah I should of just pulled up to the doors and they would have been opened but I didn’t know.
     I told the guy what I needed and it took some detailed explanation to get him to understand why I couldn’t just slap on the plate. That done I asked if the salesmen were in yet because I needed to talk to mine. He asked me what my salesman looked like. I told him it was a tall bald guy cause that was what rose up in this mind. He looked puzzled and said “Bring the car in and I’ll get someone to take care of your plate”. I brought the car in and got out to look at it as I waited. Whoever slapped the paint on this baby sure did a shit job. It was chipped and had bumps in it from dust that had settled while the paint was wet.
     As I was doing this I noticed a guy getting a pop out of the machine and walking away. His gait looked familiar so,“Hey”, I yelled just loud enough for him to hear me. He turned and looked at me closely, trying to recognize me. I too looked at him to see if it was the salesman and if he recognized me. I sure didn’t recognize this guys face and he was tall but not even thinking about being bald.
     To my great relief I saw a smile come his face as he recognized me and came forward with his hand out to shake mine. “How are you doing?” he asked and I told him I was here to get the license plate thing fixed “But come here. I want to show you something.”. He dutifully followed me as I explained “Now I know this car has been in a wreck and they just painted it but {pointing to the panel we had just walked up to} this won’t do!”. He just looked at this obvious problem and sat there as he processed this and eventually said pretty much nothing, “Well…yeah…that isn’t right…”. “Fred isn’t happy about this and you don’t want him to get upset or you’ll eat this car” I told him. His reply was that he’ll do something but he hemmed and hawed with it. “You’re going to fix it.” I stated flatly. With this he said he had to talk to his boss and left.
     He was gone quite a while so I found a coffee machine and sat down to wait. Eventually I saw him walking briskly back with a smile on his face. “Let me run this over to the body shop and have them look at it.” he stated. Worked for me so I had some coffee and looked at brochures for a while.
     Eventually the salesman came in and said the car was fixed. He said “I told you I will always take care of you. That’s because I want you to come back. It’s good business.”. Well he did and I am happy but hope the car doesn’t have too many hidden problems.
     With that done I came back home. I had taken the manual out to the car so that I could try to figure things out like programming the features. I read the book up in the apartment and study it but then when I get in the car it is gone. It’s that short term memory thing. So I sat out in the car with the manual open working on figuring things out. The cell rang and it was Fred saying he would be right out, after a while. I put the manual away and pulled the car up to the door so Fred wouldn’t have to walk too far. I waited and waited, enjoying the Bose stereo in Fred’s Cadillac. I happened to look up and saw Fred hanging out the door without his jacket on trying to get my attention.
     I rolled the passenger window down so I could hear him. He asked me to come in and talk to this guy he had on the phone cause he couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I parked the car and went in. Getting on the phone I asked the guy who he was and what was going on. He is Indian and I am sure is calling from one of the huge call centers in India that have taken so many jobs in the US. He tried to remain on his script but I didn’t have time for that. “What company are you calling for” I asked. Come to find out Fred was paying either a credit card bill or buying something that required money to be charged on the card. Anyway I got it fixed so we left. I took Fred to State Farm so he could get the insurance switched from the Lincoln to his Caddy. That didn’t take very long.
     After that I took Fred back home. I am not sure of some things. I don’t know if Cherie came home for lunch or not. I know I went shopping for groceries, stopped at Sam’s to check on gas prices and look at cookware. (To replace the pot I destroyed when I forgot I left the burner on), called Wayne to see how he was doing, went over there and took him to Kroger, saw the “Service Stability System” light come on again and stay on, took the Caddy in to be looked at. I just don’t know in what order I did these things.  
     When I called Wayne he complained of being in pain and stuff. He wasn’t to anxious to have company but I could hear the depression so I told him I wanted to come by and see if his walker will fit in the trunk of this car. He said he would put some coffee on.
     Wayne looked rough and I could tell he didn’t get much sleep. He said that some kids knocked on his door at 2:00 in the morning with the “secret” knock they use at the drug dealer’s next door. A girl with them looked about fourteen to Wayne. They came back at 4:00 knocking again and again. Wayne just sat there hoping they would go away.
     We talked about things and I asked Wayne how his food situation was. He said he didn’t have any canned vegetables or fruit but that was OK. He had plenty meat in the freezer. I asked him about this phone number he got from Jill, the lady he met at the MS luncheon, that was a lady who could help with getting Wayne some safe housing.


It is 11:11 right now. I am writing the Monday recount at the moment and took a break to tell of my morning. I don’t have anything scheduled till 2:00 when I go see Allen. I am not too fast this morning but not bad. About a 7.
     As I write the Monday recount I am having to refer to earlier journal entries because while I can remember things my mind doesn’t put a time stamp on them so it is easy to get confused. I remembered things like taking Fred to Barb’s so he could show off his new used car but didn’t know if it was today or yesterday or the day before. It was yesterday.
     Back to this morning. I am showered and shaved have not eaten yet. I didn’t eat all day yesterday till I fixed dinner (I couldn’t remember fixing dinner till just now. Stuff just pops up when it feels like it.) It is amazing I am getting fat when I forget to eat and seldom feel the sensation of hunger. I am tired now but that’s tough. Will keep going.