Wednesday "Free from debt" day

11/2/05 Wednesday
Well today is bankruptcy day. It will be good to get rid of the nearly quarter million dollar medical bill from my accident as well as all the other issues aggravated by the coma and rough recovery time. It will also clear up Cherie’s debts and helps us start out our marriage and new life with a clean slate.
Cherie took today off for the bankruptcy. I woke up before she did and let her sleep in. I am cognizant this morning and pray I stay that way. When we get to court will be the test because it is the stress and need to quickly formulate answers to questions that freezes this brain of mine. I think it will be OK cause our lawyer will be there and Cherie also.
The lady with TBI who had responded to my blog replied to my e mail I sent. It is good to talk with her. I should have been going to a support group but we never did. This helps me not feel so alone.
Anyway we went to the lawyers at 12:00 and he reviewed things with us, telling us practical things like speak instead of nodding your head because it is being tape recorded. He made sure we knew what to say for questions he knew would be asked. Fred was good at helping us understand what was going on.
We walked one block in downtown Toledo to the Ohio building. It is one of those old skyscrapers, built when architects were artists. Not that they aren’t today but the budgets nowadays don’t allow as much. We walked in the lobby and I looked with admiration at the original brass doors on the elevator with an art deco design set in the brass. When the doors opened I saw an continuation of their theme inside. Nice place.
We made it up to the floor our hearing or whatever you call it was to be on and followed Fred through several doors to the room where the trustee guy is. There were people all over the place and I felt like I was cutting in line as Fred ushered us to our seats as he said “You’ll be up real fast”. Sure enough we were.
I was not too slow but not too fast this morning, about a 7. When I am stressed and have to answer questions it gets rough. I was in a legal hearing where I was sworn in and that is reminiscent of many bad memories, I’m nervous. We sit at the table and he starts his well practiced series of questions, efficiently and quickly covering all the bases, but….On the issue of my owing the state something like $25,000 in sales tax he asked “Now regarding the back sales tax, have you filed a whoknowswhat to Whothehellisthat ?????” I didn’t understand what he said and as I tried to grasp at it I didn’t say anything for an awkward amount of time, then I asked him “What do you mean?” He tried to explain it and asked me again if I had done this task. By now I was confused so I explained to him I was in a coma and couldn’t remember what I had done. At this things came to a quick conclusion and we were done. I thanked Fred as he stopped by for a quick word before he had to sit with his next client and we were gone.
By this time I was real slowed down, about a three. At least I wasn’t stuttering. Cherie suggested we eat at the Garden Café so I turned in. We got a seat quickly despite the place being busy as always. I really wasn’t doing well because of all the activity and noise just kinda assailed me. I ordered a Rueben and Cherie got the spinach salad she likes. Time seemed to be just creeping along as we waited for our order. The food was great but I was glad when we got done.
We came home and I called Fred to take him to get his medicine. He wanted to do it later but I told him I was going to Allen’s then so he asked for ten minutes and we left. I drove Fred one block to Rite Aid and waited for him to get his prescription. It didn’t take long and I took Fred home. After I dropped him off I went to the bank and got some money out for herbal medicines and to have something in the wallet.
I called Allen at 2:00 and woke him up. I was supposed to be there at 2:00 and called to say I would be late. He asked for me to come at 3:30 but I talked him into 3:00 because I didn’t want to be there any later than I needed.
Allen isn’t doing too well. His stomach is having sharp pains and he was curled up under a blanket with a grimace on his face. “I don’t know what’s wrong, I just hurt” he told me. I know what’s wrong, Allen’s out of pills and he is going through withdrawals. It is a crime that he can’t get the medical help he needs for his pain. We didn’t talk much and, after letting him know he can call me if he needs anything, I said “I probably should go now”.
I called Cherie as I drove home watching the sun go down and had her meet me outside so we can go to the park and walk before it gets dark. She was in the parking lot when I drove in and had both gotten my coat and the camera we’ve been using so much lately. (I’ll get some more pictures up later) We walked and communed, stopping every now and then to soak in the beauty of nature or to listen for deer. It was getting dark rapidly as it does when there is not a cloud in the sky. The forest was taking on that grey look with black tangles of vines and branches it gets at dusk. This was enhanced by the bareness that extended our sight, unimpeded by leaves that had now fallen to the ground.
There were no deer and the path we were on seemed new to me. I stopped to admire a place where Swan Creek gently ran over some rocks and told Cherie how glad I was we came this way. She said we had been there before and pointed to some tree roots that had been exposed by the rushing waters. “Remember? You took pictures of those roots” she told me. As I recognized the tree roots some of the rest became familiar again. That is one of the blessings of short term memory loss. I get to enjoy the same thing for the first time over and over again. We saw the tree that stood out so vibrantly last week that I took a picture of it that you can see up above. It was bald, all the leaves gone except a few stragglers at the top. Winter is coming fast.
After that we went shopping for some boots for me with no luck. I actually went to more than one store looking for something. What! Bob shopping? Now I know I’m married cause I am catching this stuff from Cherie. We’re sharing our diseases. She cooks better and I went shopping. Hey! I love it. Life is good.
We hit Taco Bell and came home where, amazingly enough, I sit typing at this moment. I quit for the night. Cherie read the whatchamacallit thing I wrote about the bankruptcy and just about split her sides laughing. I love to make her laugh. See ya guys. Hey if you like this tell some friends to check me out. I have been getting more E mails and Eileen phoned us today to say how much she liked it. As I realize there are more and more people reading this I think that with that comes a responsibility. I will ponder that for a bit.