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Sunday, September 24, 2023

Waiting for the washing machine

Laundry has become a problem recently. There are more tenants competing for fewer facilities. One day last week, one of two washing machines was removed. Yay, making room for a new machine! But wrong. Removed to that masculine lair of "the workroom" for repair. It has been "broken" for the entire year plus I've lived here. It makes a great deal of noise on one of its cycles.

Personally, I would call the GE guy. I had a magnificent Maytag repair guy back in the township. I had him for forty years. Well, him, then his son. But that isn't how they do things here. So, since the only machine is in use, I set my timer for forty five minutes, and then I'll go look.

In the meantime, I have a car. Actually, it's closer to a tank. In the week or so it has lived out in the parking lot, I've driven through a tank of gas, keeping appointments. The worst was the Reclast infusion. I have no problem with needles and stuff dripping into my veins. I do have a problem with time expended and side effects. 

My doctor assured me this second drip of Reclast would not be painful. Not the infusion, but the day after. Last time my housemate gave me a Tylenol with codeine, from her stash. "Oh, don't worry. There are few to no side effects the second time!" said my doctor. Liar, liar, pants ablaze. 

Since he is so far away from me, a long drive south, I've decided to ask for an endocrinologist at the local clinic. I've been doing that for  the rest of my specialists, and soon I'll be driving fifteen minutes for most of my doctor appointments. It will be sad to leave many of my current doctors, but not all. 

My endocrinologist, for example. When I first found him, it was by reading reviews carefully. When he turned out to be exactly as described, I recommended my sister to him. We've both been satisfied patients for forty years. But he has really upset me of late, Reclast not the least of his "sins", and a change is in order.

My laundry has been swishing away these last forty minutes, and I had a nice chat with Marty, the woman ahead of me. She began so defensively I was sad. I do like her and know so little about her. So I asked about her background, and learned she had been a teacher and a home maker. That seems to be the history of so many here. No really kindred souls.

It set me searching about for something else in my immediate surroundings to make me smile. That would be Kitty. She has two toys with balls. One is four tiers, a ball on each tier. The other is flat, with a cardboard scratching pad in the middle. The former was the first, and it was an immediate success. She tackled it, wrestled it to the ground, rolled over and over, attempting to tackle all four balls at one time. She often woke me at night with the sound of the balls.

Then I decided she needed more scratching opportunities than my sofa, and bought the flat unit. She abandoned the other unit for this. It was pushed half under the chair to make way for the vacuum, and this is her favorite place. She spends half or more of each day's play time subduing the entire unit. Sometimes she attacks from behind the chair leg, sometimes around it, a paw on each side. And sometimes she simply lays around and pats the ball from side to side. To side to side to side to side. And I fall asleep.


 


 

30 comments:

  1. I wish there were kindred spirits there for you. It would be great. Crafters or readers or businesswomen, you've done a lot.

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  2. Joanne, we have a terrific Maytag man also for years. He fixes our old 2nd hand Maytag washer and dryer whenever needed - and (knock on wood) they still work!
    Sorry about the side effects of your 2nd Reclast. I do like my doctors, but I find the Pharmacists know more about the meds and side effects.
    And happy Kitty seems to be happy with her toys!

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  3. One would think that there would be lots of people to socialize with there. It's such a shame that so many people must feel alone.

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  4. Maybe your endocrinologist is starting to lose his edge. (Maybe I'm biased by the amount of reading I do about the beginnings of dementia. It can have innocuous symptoms at first.) I agree with Rian, I always talk to the pharmacists about medications because that's their area of expertise. I'm so sorry you had to deal with the Reclast effects yet again.

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  5. And kitty! She is such a pretty thing; I'm glad she has learned how to play and entertain herself!

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  6. That laundry room situation is just stupid. They should get a new one. Kitty is a good looking cat.

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  7. Hari Om
    The important thing for mental health is to have conversations, even just one-offs with total strangers; if there appears a kindred spirit then it is triply blessed. Though it would be nice for you to have at least one other resident at your place with whom you can "yarn"... they may yet appear. Meanwhile, Helly Kitty!!! YAM xx

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  8. One of mother's friends had a flat in a warden controlled block of flats....she always said if she was fed up she could always rely on the laundry room...either a chat or all out war with someone hogging the machines.

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  9. Seriously. They need more washing machines. That's ridiculous. You must spend so much time walking back and forth to the laundry room to see if the washer's free.
    Doctors shouldn't lie. That's all I'll say about that.
    I am glad to hear that Cat plays with her toy. She must really love it.

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  10. You need to protest that laundry room situation. That's some crap, right there. How many people are using that machine? Sounds like another sharply worded letter from Joanne is due.

    I really love that Kitty is so playful. Is she getting any friendlier with you?

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  11. Sigh on the need to change doctors. Increasingly the snarky bit of me is thinking that doctors should be forced to take the medication they so blithely prescribe. I suspect there would be a lot less talk about minimal other effects.
    Glad that kitty is entertaining you. And herself.

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  12. Given the size of your residence, there should be numerous fully operational working washing machines. One working machine and one out of commission is outrageous. I agree with you, it is time for a new endocrinologist. Doctors should provide full honest disclosure to their patients. You found the perfect toys for Kitty.

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  13. Wow, those two toys are obviously Kitty Kat GOLD! Glad they keep her amused!

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  14. I might have to get Cat one of those four tiered with balls toys.

    maybe you could get a petition going around, be the trouble maker and rabble rouser. more washing machines!

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  15. Is the use of the washing machine/dryer free or do you have to drop in quarters? If it costs you, you could always drive to a local laundromat and at least do the washing there, then dry them back at the residence. If your residence washer is free, then probably not, unless you feel a bit rich. You might find a a reasonably intelligent kindred spirit doing their laundry there too. Just a thought.

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  16. Lacey has a new catnip infused fish that she is quite fond of.

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  17. Kitty seems to be a happy critter with so much playing! Just how much catnip are you giving her? At my retirement apartments (previously an old nursing home,) they have 3 coin washers and 3 coin dryers in the basement of the main building. They are far cheaper than taking laundry to a laundrymat. But our maintenance guy doesn't mess with them. The apartment has a contract with some company, and if anything needs fixing or replacing, the company does it. Linda in Kansas

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  18. I'm always surprised by the cats' strong need to play with something. It happens here too, only here it happens with small birds that the cat brings from the yard unfortunately.

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  19. It’s always great to learn people’s history. Only in that way do they become “real people” other than a face you pass in the hall. I give quite a few presentations at retirement centres and I have been to a couple of them so often I am getting to know some of the residents. One of them, a fellow always immaculately dressed, but suffering from dementia, is a former professor of astrophysics. In moments of lucidity he can talk about it a little but quickly drifts back to the world he now inhabits.

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  20. You are lucky in one respect that your room is close to the laundry room (almost opposite I think you once said) so there’s not far to haul your basket ( or do you wheel it over on your walker).
    Such a shame it’s proving difficult to find someone ‘on the same level as you’ to have interesting conversations with. Sounds like all your neighbours have pulled the shutters down now they are getting on in years whereas your shop still trading and ‘is open all hours’

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  21. One washing machine for how many people?!
    Yes, you do need more kindred spirits where you live..or look for somewhere to find some to socialize with.

    Lovely to know that Kitty is playing xx

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  22. People live such different lives but we always have something in common. I enjoy learning about others too.

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  23. Kindred spirits are treasures when we find them. Boo on the laundry nonsense. One of our machines is screaming in agony and grasping every piece of laundry to its tight breast. I told the manager who said I was the only complainant. I asked around. Yes, they all agreed with me but don't want to upset management by whinging about it. AAAAARGh.
    XO
    WWW

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  24. I would hate having to fit in my laundry around everyone else. Good for you for striking up a conversation. I'm finding fewer and fewer kindred spirits these days. Kitty is so cute!

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  25. I agree with Ellen Abbott, get a petition going for more and better machines. Just one or two for so many women isn't good enough! I think finding a doctor closer to home is a great idea. I'm sorry to hear the effects of the second Reclast were just as bad as the first.

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  26. Absurd that the washing machine has been "broken" and unrepaired for a year. Somebody needs to get off their arse and fix it. Your ongoing visits to various doctors sound pretty arduous. I hope you find a new endocrinologist you are happy with.

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  27. Please allow me to be outraged on your behalf. Having lived in two places with an onsite laundry, having enough machines still doesn't make it a great experience. People are selfish and inconsiderate.

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  28. My cat has no interest whatsoever in the tower toy. She is mostly into hunting flies!

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  29. I'm afraid Reclast didn't work for me according to my doctor. It didn't stop my bone loss so now I'm on Prolia. I HOPE it's helping.

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  30. Kitty keeps you entertained.

    My laundry is a block away, owned by a guy who sells laundry equipment to hotels. He really fixed up the place when he bought it and put in new equipment.

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