"What are you doing exciting for the rest of the
afternoon?" she asked. I had already answered that question more than half a
dozen times in the apartment. Now it appeared it was going to be the topic through
our weekly lunch too. And it was. Sometimes she would interrupt me while I was
telling her for the xxth time that I was going to finish writing my review and take a nap
to ask the question again.
Her brain these days is funny. Sometimes it amazes me
with what she remembers. She remembered to tell me that Jeri had called her earlier
in the day I was visiting. When she was talking to Jeri she remembered that Phil had
been to visit her two weeks before. She remembered that she had been sleeping when the
cleaning lady came this morning so her bed wasn't made and the cleaning lady was going to
come back later to make the bed.
When it came time to order lunch, she couldn't remember how
big the bowl of fruit salad was (though she has eaten it every. single. day. for the past
year) and the waitress had to show her how big the bowl was. Then she wasn't sure if
she could eat that much. Though. she. has. eaten. it. every. single. day. for the
past year.
When we got back from lunch, I went to use the bathroom and
discovered she was out of toilet paper. I told her that I noticed she was out of TP
and she said "Oh that's right--I was going to call you about that. I need to
start making a list" (of course she has been saying she is going to start making a
list ever since she got to Atria, but I was impressed she had remembered she was out of
toilet paper).
I told her I would run up to CVS and get her a package.
She said she would have to pay me, but she didn't know if she had checks and she
would have to call Ed and ask him to bring her checks. I reminded her that he had
brought her checks and that they were in her purse. She said she'd get the checks
out while I was gone so she could pay me when I got back.
When I got back, she was amazed that I realized she was out
of toilet paper because she meant to call me about it and she needed to start keeping a
list. She told me she needed to pay me but she didn't know if she had any checks and
she would have to ask Ed to bring her some. Then she asked me what exciting thing I
was going to be doing for the rest of the afternoon.
Sigh.
I'm not depressed about these visits, really. They
just make me sad. I love it when family come to visit her because it gives her a new
audience and she actually can carry on a conversation that doesn't involve their exciting
activities for the rest of the day.
One positive thing today, though, is that I don't think she
mentioned "hunnert" once. Now THAT makes it a good day!
