A bit of an up and downer of a night, I wonder what I had to eat before bedtime.
I always managed to get back to sleep, but when I finally woke up, I felt really exhausted. My eyes and limbs were figuratively as well as literally heavy.
Since I awoke around 07.00, it was soon time to start the long nag to get T out to day care. He was fairly compliant today, to my relief. What makes it all so stressful is the fact that he craftily keeps me on tenterhooks.
Will he actually get off the loo and straight into the shower? OK – he’s come back to bed again, so how much nagging will it take to get him up again? He is up again, will he get in the shower? How long will he spend in the shower? Will he be distracted by things – eg washing up, bins etc. How long will he take to get dressed? Will he put on the garments that I have put out for him? Or will he waste time looking for alternatives! And so on.
But today, was an easier morning. And he happily trotted off into Daycare. There were already a goodly number of people in there. Tables laid out with activities, biscuits and a hot cuppa ready. As always.
H was walked at Cholsey Rec. No kiddy activities today. Just a load of smallish people on the swings and skateboard / scooter/ bike ramps. H eyed up a lot of crows and reached the sensible conclusion that they would not be worth a chase. Otherwise, she darted around enough – yesterday had been a short walk for her, so darting around today was good. And she paddled.
Returning home gave me some time to stick towels in to wash and to tidy up the kitchen. The sink seemed full of dirty dishes for some reason. The dishwasher was full of clean ones. So I cleared them into their correct locations.
Eyeing up the Fairy made me realise T was up to his old nonsense of using far too much of it, despite the newer bottles having a new style of nozzle which makes it quite hard to use more than a squirt. It requires a lot of determination on his part.
It was soon time to head for Rosebourne to meet Brenda, who was already in the car park when I arrived.
We were shown nice comfy seats and were busily studying the menu, when someone passed, and stopped to say hello. I did not immediately recognise her and her companion. Heather Criggie – a one time colleague, with Gillian Foote, another. Nice to see Heather – must remake proper contact.
Brenda and I enjoyed a good chinwag. And a nice lunch. These meetings with carer friends (and we are supposedly having a fully attended one next Thursday) are very helpful.
This group includes the only people I know, who really understand what life living with dementia involves on a day to day basis. Other people offer help and advice, but much of it, although well-meant, involves platitudes or misfires.
Today, criminal law barristers have announced they are taking full time strike action from 6/9. I am not surprised. Pay always used to be erratic, late coming in, and poor. Expenses were high. Travel, overheads of maintaining staff, and an office etc. Barristers are not supposed to turn down work, except under certain circumstances. Therefore, they can end up making a loss, particularly for pleas and returns (last minute work).
T always chose privately paid work over legal aid or prosecution cases. The state pay was awful and out of sync when he retired in 2015. And had been for 20 years when they first cut legal aid fees in the 1996. And that was before Chris Grayling and Michael Gove utterly messed up what system there was around 10 years ago. As for Raab. As is his wont, he has run away from the crisis. A crisis, any crisis and he is awol.
I believe he has given Crete a miss this year and is holidaying somewhere less exotic. Surrey, so the rumour goes.
Pen has been investigating what her DNA tells her about her heritage.
Thought for the Day
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