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First Real Day

February 26th, 2007

Today was my first 11-7 day at the assisted living home I work at. I loved it. The residents are great. Most of them were all smiles and sunshine.

There are a couple who’ve had strokes and have trouble talking. I’m hoping I don’t get in trouble for letting them come into the kitchen and point me to what they want. I’ll never be able to understand them otherwise.

There’s one woman who refuses to talk to you unless she likes you. It was interesting figuring out what she wanted to drink with her dinner. Thankfully, one of the other residents noticed that she was ignoring me and told me what she usually has.

One of the residents who is wheelchair bound pulled himself up to the kitchen door with his working foot and said “My name’s T.”

I said “Hi, T. My name’s Rayne.”

He said “It’s nice to meet you.” and he smiled at me. I smiled back and said, “And you also.”

He began to tell me how much he enjoyed seeing my face at lunch and dinner and how happy he was they had hired me. He said the cook staff before me was terrible and mean. All the cared about was getting things done and getting home. He said it was nice to have someone who understands that people aren’t always in perfect working order and doesn’t mind being around them and helping them out. Then he asked me to help him adjust his coat so he could go out and smoke a cigarette.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself and think of Master. While T can’t adjust his clothes for himself (a fact that seriously bothers him, judging from the bright red patches on his cheeks when he asked, and the anger/disappointment in his voice when he said, “I should be able to do this for myself.”), Master can, and He enjoys asking me to help Him situate his clothes and put Him together before work. But I know that when He’s older, if He can’t do it for Himself there will be the same look of embarrassment on His face and the same amount of anger/disappointment in His voice when He asks me to help Him out.

And then there’s A. A’s been great to me but I’m told she can be mean and belligerent. Who can’t? She’ll talk all four legs off her table and then get working on the legs on the chairs before she shuts up. And she’s not real
interested in whether or not you’re actually listening. She’d rather talk if you are, but if you’re not that’s okay too. She’s got a birthday coming up, she told me. I couldn’t help but laugh when I asked her how old she was
going to be and first she said, “I’m not telling!” with all the stubbornness of a two year old, then said, “Thirty-nine.” She’s at least 80. Probably older. And she’s a tough old bird. Funny. But tough.

The staff all seems pretty nice. The food services director loves me to pieces. And the food services manager is really nice. She popped in at about six to make sure I was getting along okay. Her daughter insisted on coming in with her because they used to be customers of mine at the deli and Me was upset she wouldn't be seeing me there anymore. Th promised to bring her in periodically so she could chat me up.

I was a little late getting out because they needed snacks and A was running around getting meds out and someone off to the hospital. Apparently someone called in and it was just her tonight. But being as I’m a 5-10 minute walk away (depending on the weather), Master doesn’t have to come pick me up so I’m not making anyone wait or screwing up anyone’s schedule. I like that.

All in all, it was a stress free day right until the end. There was even a bit of time where I was bored out of my mind. Couldn’t find anything I wanted to do. Tomorrow, when it gets to be that time, I’m gonna defrost the ice freezer. Wanted to do that today but Th got whiny when I mentioned it. Soooo tomorrow I’ll just do it after she leaves 🙂

Anywho… that’s all for me. Hope you all enjoyed your day!

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