A bus trip and any other news

Living in an old folks home certainly limits my adventures. The most I generally have to discuss are my gripes, and who wants them! Not to mention, I cannot remember what I've already complained about. 

Here's one, just to flesh out my post. When you were young, did one or both of your parents make sure you didn't inconvenience other people?  Stand back, stay out of the way, watch where you are going, etcetcetc! My parents, my grandmother, my neighbors, even strangers. So, does courtesy abandon people past a certain age?

Many of us here in the OFH use devices to get around. Walkers or Rollaters. I have the former. Also the later, but am not confident in controlling it. Anyway, they take up space. In our breakfast area most tables seat four. I deduced early on I had to keep the walker tucked close to me to allow aisle access to everyone else. About three of us figured this out; most everyone else just leaves their device in the aisle.

I try to get to breakfast early, to avoid the rush. Last week I was alone at the table, but Marcia soon joined me and then Maureen. Device abandoners, both. My egg came. It was the usual cook's regular day, and I ordered a poached egg. The cook who cannot was on that day, unbeknownst to me. He thinks vinegar will save him. So it was a semi raw egg, steeped in vinegar.

I gagged, shuddered, stood and took my plate to the trash can, then ordered a bowl of oatmeal. Returned to my seat and found Jean in the third seat, walker in the aisle. I literally could not go around the table to my seat. I said "The table cannot take four walkers!" and asked Jean to hand me my coffee cup, which I could not reach. I went to an empty table.

After breakfast I refilled my coffee and passed the old table on my way out. Jean caught my eye and said I had been extremely rude and cold in taking leave of the table. Surprise! I said I was sorry her feelings were hurt, and kept on going.

The next morning she stopped me and said I had the right to sit anywhere I wanted, and we should talk about it. Told her I had nothing to say and sat down. She stopped me again later and said she wanted to talk. So, I told her that three extremely rude people had blocked all access to the table with my cup and silverware; I even had to ask her to reach my cup to me. I expected an apology from her for thoughtlessness. 

No response. So I wished her a good day and left. Sadly, I am assigned to a dinner table with Jean. I am polite, but no more. I enjoy Marcia and Maddy's company and have no intention of leaving unless I am reassigned. Marcia, Maddy and I leave devices at the edge of the room and shuffle back to our table. Jean still uses the aisle and has not apologized. The End.

Last Monday I had a doctor's appointment about fifteen miles away, so I scheduled a PARTA bus. Portage County senior transport system. They gave me a pick up time and a return time, with instructions to be waiting thirty minutes before the scheduled times.

The outbound trip was a woman in her forties or fifties, I'd guess. Very polite and attentive (I need the lift to enter and leave the bus). I was the only passenger. She never exceeded the speed limit, and there was a plethora of 25 mph zones. 

The return trip was a young man. I thanked him a couple of times before we left and his response was I needn't to that, it was his job. He drove his bus like I used to drive my extended van. At least ten miles over the speed limit, and strategic lane changing. He was very chatty and fun to talk to. When we got back I told him he was as good a driver as I had been. And "Thank You!" We had a good laugh.

Beth was here most of the afternoon, installing a new computer. Better her than me. All is now in the cloud, whatever that means. All because Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 after this year. So, a new learning experience for me. There may be some complaining.

CleveNet, from whom I download books, stopped supporting Overdrive for downloads. Now it's something called Libby, which, I've learned, does not load to MP3, which tiny player I carry in my pocket. Apparently I need some Adobe interface to get the job done.

I put my grandson on it. His solution: get Alexa. I can even interface it to my hearing aids, which he will do. Not so fast, young man, I said. So he is in charge of a cheap Alexa and blue tooth headphones. I never thought I'd be saying "Shut up, Alexa!"

Here's a sweet picture of France and Caroline, the day he began kindergarten and Caroline started pre-school. He was five and she was three.