Well, today turned into one big episode! I hope everyone reading this is old enough to remember the I Love Lucy show because I am pretty sure that I was living it today.
First off I decided to go out and get myself something for dinner. I don’t go out by myself very often these days as my husband and my daughter have a fit if I decide to drive. Now in all fairness to them, most of the time when I am going out I am going to a hospital or clinic for a procedure so we don’t know for sure how I will feel when I am done but now they have developed this attitude that I just shouldn’t do it and there is no need. I can drive perfectly well.
Vic was working this afternoon and evening and I decided that I would like some Chinese food. It thought that I would order from a place close by rather than our usual place just because I couldn’t be bothered with going further into the city. Each time I go out I have to figure out what to do with my head. When I am out in the yard or driveway at home I leave my head bare but I am not so brave when I venture anywhere out. My hair is growing in but it is not growing in evenly. It is growing much more quickly on the back and sides than it is on the front. It is also white, grey, brown and somethiing in between all those in some parts. My daughter was looking at it the other day and said, “I know this is going to sound funny, but you need a hair cut!”. Apparently at the very back there is a little spot that is growing straight out and looks funny and my hairline needs cleaning up. I mean really?, I am consumed with the fact that I don’t have hair and I need a hair cut? Anyway, I decided that I would go without covering my head and that made me nervous but maybe ready to do it. I kept thinking, ‘I’m not going to know anybody so does it matter?’. You know whenever you do that is when you run into someone you know.
Nonetheless, I called to order my food and was ready to go out and let the world see it. I’m pretty sure that Vic, my daughter and grandchildren are right that nobody will care but apparently I do.
Now, my car has given up. I know that I have already written about the fact that money is tight for us and we don’t have extra money for, well, ‘extras’ or unexpected things. Yes, I know that you are supposed to plan for that but that’s what it is. The man we buy our cars from is most helpful and understanding and said give him a little time and he will find one that I like within our price range. We’re not in a terrible hurry because I am driving so seldom but the car for me has always represented my freedom and I get nervous when I can’t go out on my own. We have been loaned a car to use in the meantime from a friend. Honest to goodness, you won’t believe me when I tell you about driving this car. Mind you, it is safe as it has been checked out so that’s not the issue. As well, Vic said to him, she can’t go out without air conditioning and it’s true. There is no one who sweats more in the summer as I do. I know it’s not feminine but I can’t help or change it – it’s dreadful. (By the way, my new drug brings on incredible hot flashes; I feel like it’s hourly and I barely survive them. I just barely get through the summer and have often said to friends in June that I will see them in October when the weather changes. Well, the car has great air conditioning for sure, it’s almost arctic air. That’s the good part. The rest is unbelievable. The body is a terrible mess, well not so much from the back but the front is a different issue. I got in the car to drive home the first time and realized that the windows ROLL DOWN! I’m pretty sure my grandchildren have never seen that.
So out I go in this car to get my dinner. The take out place is not so very far from home so it wasn’t going to be a big deal. I get there and go in and the young man behind the counter asked for my name and went to get my food. He came back and then asked for my phone number as he couldn’t find it. I was standing there looking at the brochures on the front counter and thought, that’s not the number I called. Oh for heaven’s sake, I’ve come to the wrong restaurant! I kept calling and calling to get his attention but he was wandering around the back in the kitchen wondering why he couldn’t find my food. He finally came out and I just said, “oh no, my husband must have ordered from the wrong place. I’ll just go check”. I couldn’t believe I had done that and left immediately.
I went around the block to the right place and picked up my food. I was driving along thinking okay, I just want to go home now. As I came to the intersection to turn towards home, there was an older man looking for money from cars driving by. It is a very busy intersection but the light was red and I figured I had enough time to slow down and hand him some money. I slow down and then realize that I have to roll down the window. Oh no, there’s only one car in front of me and now there are several coming up behind me in the turning lane. As I’m trying to roll down the window, he holds his cup right up to the window and it’s not going down. I’m attempting to hurry and the handle comes off in my hand. Oh for God’s sake! Now, the advance green is on and the cars are honking. I managed to get the window down and drive on but I’m sure he thought of telling me to keep the money that I needed it more. I can’t believe I wasn’t attacked in a fit of road rage.
I got home, took a deep breath and enjoyed my dinner.
Maybe I shouldn’t be allowed out on my own after all!!!
