What will get done?

6/16/06 Friday
It is always a rush on Friday mornings because this is the day Cherie goes into work at 8:00 and I meet Jeff for breakfast at the same time. I didn’t get home till 1:00 this morning because of being at Allen’s to celebrate his 38th or 39th birthday. I let Allen drive because it was his birthday. Allen waits for the last minute to head to the movie. This is always how he is. I regretted letting him drive about five seconds after we left. Allen just plain scares the shit out of me with his driving, cutting in and out of traffic with inches to spare and accelerating to within feet of the car in front of him. Then he rides their ass as he cusses about them being so slow and in the way. I kept my hand braced on the dash most of the time.

The X-men movie was great the second time around. I was surprised that I remembered most of it. There is no predicting what I will remember when. After the movie we went to the Chinese restaurant Allen likes so much. As he did the last time we were here Allen ignored the “Please wait to be seated” sign and went straight back to the separate dining room he took me to last time. I tried to explain that he should allow them to seat him but he said “No, this is the smoking area. I like the solitude”. There would be no arguing the point. I saw the look on the managers face as we swept by him on the way to the back room. We sat down and after a while Allen went back up front to request a waiter. This is how it went before and I really don’t like upsetting the people that serve my food, especially before it’s served. Allen ordered his shrimp dish with all kinds of details like “I want gobs of (Nuts or something), no green pepper…” He also ordered the shrimp dish for me, presuming that was what I would want. The waiter, giving a look that conveyed his expectance of the same detail asked me how I want my meal cooked. “Just make it like you always do, that would be fine” I told him and watched his relief.

The food came and for some reason Allen’s didn’t taste right, like it was filled with monosodium glutamate or something. Mine was fine though a little salty. Allen wanted me to take a taste of his to see if I could detect the difference. I didn’t want to taste it for fear of what had been done to it. Allen talked and talked but when the food came shoveled it in barely taking a breath between bites. I took my time and enjoyed the meal as much as I could while Allen spoke of his loneliness.

We got done and I held on as Allen drove back to his house. There we watched some movie on his satellite and just talked about everything. Allen seems to not grasp that we will be going to Texas and tells me of things we should do next year. I was glad to get home.

Jeff did not make our breakfast meeting, he had forgotten and I woke him up when I called. Instead I went to Firestone and set up a time for Jeff the mechanic to go through the truck Monday. When asked what I needed I told him “I want you to find everything that needs to be fixed and fix it. Check out the whole truck”. Then I went to Murray’s to get some paint and filler to start fixing up the scratches and dings.

Coming home Fred came to his door. I could tell he was worrying and listened as he told me Barb’s cell phone wasn’t working again. He wants me to go take care of it. I told him I would call Barb and figure it out.

Barb called me and said “Fred’s freaking out again. He’s driving me crazy”. She did ask if I could take her to stock up on groceries. Her surgery is scheduled for Monday so she will be laid up. That’s the start for my day. I never ate so need to put something in my system. Then I got to get on the Larry letter.

I am not sure how I am doing. Have some equilibrium problems and the ringing in the ears is prevalent. The brain is running at a 7 on the Bob scale, about average.
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I had a slow down. When Cherie came home for lunch she got the mail. In it was a letter regarding Lee’s civil service death benefit. I am real frustrated. This is something I was to take care of months ago. It never happened and vanished from my mind till now. I can’t seem to finish anything I start.

I am tired now, real tired. Fred pushed to have me leave to help Barb and said “I’m going with you Bob”. Great. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Barb was happy from the medication they have her on prior to the operation. The feel good pills were working. Fred elected to stay in the car while we were in Kroger. That helped. I followed Barb to keep things moving. It wasn’t long before we got checked out and I pushed the cart out, anxious to see how Fred did with the heat. He was fine but bitching about the heat. “Turn the damn air on” he said. That worked well with me. Barb’s check came so we took her to the bank and then home.

3:36 - I got it done and made it home. Not doing real hot. Finally ate something. Cherie had forced a yogurt on me when she came home for lunch because I don’t think to eat or if I do I get distracted and it’s gone. I heated up some of the Mexican stuff from some restaurant at some time in the past that is unknown to me. I don’t know if this stuff is good or not but it tastes great. I may have to lay down now. Running about a 4 now.

9:11 – Never did speed up and have been tired on top of that. I hope tomorrow is better. Fred asked if I would take him to get the air conditioner on his car charged up tomorrow. I told him no, “It’s Saturday and I like to have my weekends. I’ve got to get ready to go to Texas.

Cherie went shopping and I’m fighting a headache. Turned off the TV and got it quiet except for the sound of the fans blowing. Had the air on earlier but turned it off with the TV. Too noisy.