Part 286 ~ The Adventures of King Ben & Zeus the Big Dumb Dog

If you missed the start of this series, you can find it here. A lot of things will be the same or very similar.

I did the Communing with Mother Nature thing. It was windy, cool, and still wet from the rain, but it’s such a habit now. Plus, I’ve been happily surprised so many times, I’ve developed a fear of missing a spectacular show. Just a small fear.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I had a heck of a time getting the Moon. It was very low and so many buildings and poles in the way. I even went out front to the street and didn’t have any luck. I think this picture was from the side yard, right outside the kitchen window and it’s seriously cropped.

Daughter was cooking “white chicken” for Ben and he was dozing off on the couch. It was only 5:15pm. Too early for bedtime, plus food in his stomach might help him sleep better.

I got elected to keep him awake, since Daughter was cooking. It was difficult, he was really tired. I decided to run his bath thinking that might wake him up enough to eat. He got in, got cleaned up and pulled the plug. He didn’t want to play. He got his bathrobe on and said he was “ready to go bedtime.” He was shivering and actually whining. Ben makes all kinds of noises but he doesn’t whine.

Daughter was getting upset and frustrated that he wouldn’t eat. I was cleaning up all the chalk and she was loading the pill container with the next day’s meds, and Ben was shivering, whining and asking for his jammas. Words, emotions… I got him into his PJs, found a lid for his chicken bowl, and escorted him and Dogzilla to Ben’s room. I thought he might watch his tablet, eat and then pass out. I thought he just wanted his bed and his blankets.

After he was settled and kissed, can’t forget the kiss, I went and told Daughter he was waiting for her to come kiss him. She was in the middle of another “grouch storm” and she unleashed on me a bit. All good. Not really, but I didn’t want to get into it. She wants things to be her way, Ben wants things his way… I just want peace. I think deep down Daughter feels cheated. She thought that being a parent meant she’d get to be the boss. I’m a grandparent and I’m still not the boss.

She kissed him then gathered her stuff and stomped off to her room. It was only 6:15pm. Much earlier than usual bedtime for Ben, but I just go with the flow. I was already in my room so I stayed there and kept my thoughts to myself. I was planning on an early night, knowing Ben would wake up early.

Plans… never make them. I got all the usual Things and Stuff done, I even ate some food. I dozed a couple times because I’m old and that’s what old people do. I pulled myself out of a borderline sleep around 10:30pm and took my meds. I have no clue when I actually went to sleep again.

I woke a couple more times before the big wake around 3am. Zeus was on my bed, I could hear Ben making very awake sounds. As I was trying to get my body and brain to work the way they’re supposed to so I could get up, I heard Daughter say something to Ben. Oh good, she was up with him. I quit trying to get up and let the doze take me back under. I never went very deep, but a light doze is better than nothing.

Sometime before 6am the BIG WAKE occurred with Bounce, bedquakes and Royal Commands. I dragged myself out of bed and began Couch Sittin Duty. I had to get back up a bazillion times to gather all Ben’s stuff from his room and Daughter’s room. He had plenty of energy, but likes to make me feel useful, Bless his heart!

I started the laundry at some point. So many muddy clothes. I’m glad the mud had dried at least. It made it easier to get most of the big globs off before tossing the item into the washer. The sun was out but we had too much to hang them to dry. I’d be making a trip to the laundromat to use the dryers at some point.

Daughter got up at noon. She put her clothes in the washer and I changed into public clothes. I will wear my PJs to the corner market but for extended trips I change into sweats or yoga pants. I can’t remember the last time I wore jeans, and it’s been decades since I wore dress slacks. One of the upsides of being a disabled hermit… comfy clothes.

Anyway, the public clothes on, I grabbed my mask and headed out… the grocery store was my destination. Yes, I just got a delivery yesterday, but I forgot stuff, plus my main destination was the pharmacy inside the store. I dropped off Ben’s prescriptions but they were closing for lunch. Dang! I got some groceries, and Pink Cookies were back, so I grabbed two boxes of them, checked out and headed home.

I took the stuff in, put it away, got Daughter’s clothes out of the washer and took all three baskets of wet clothes to the car. Off to the laundromat. Clothes into the dryers, no Quarter or Cleaner Ladies in sight, then back home to get Horizontal for forty-five minutes. I was tired.

When the forty-five minutes was up, I grabbed my mask and went to get the clothes, then back to the pharmacy to get Ben’s meds. I seriously thought about getting a Starbucks, but decided against it. That $10.00 including the tip could be better spent. I headed back home to fold and put away my and Ben’s laundry.

We are Driving Miss Daisy tonight, aka taking Daughter to work. Ben has been awake since 1:30am, and Younger Daughter is working. The next couple hours may be difficult. Trying to keep Ben awake… that was a struggle last night. I guess it will be what it will be… meanwhile, it’s almost Sunset time. There aren’t any big fluffy clouds or many clouds of any kind, so I don’t expect a spectacular show. Mother Nature has surprised me before.

I love me some Godsmack and some days you just need to crank the music and rock out!

A busy day for me. Busier than usual, anyway. I had to go out in public… YIKES! It’s peopley in public. It disheartens me to see so many people out and about. We are under “stay at home” orders. I suppose that everyone out there needed to be out, but it seemed as busy as a regular day. There has been no “Ghost Town” look or feel at any point since the pandemic began. Maybe it’s because I live in a mixed-use neighborhood. A market, three restaurants, a laundromat and a 7-11 are my neighbors. Oh, and a General Practice doctor who works out of a house. All businesses that were/are permitted to stay open. Our daily numbers are still rising. Daughter tells me of the patients she works with. She has only been working COVID a short time and has already had two patients die. She doesn’t work Intensive Care. Okay… enough, Angie. Hush… Yep! Good idea. Come hang out tomorrow… I promise not to rant about the Kootie. ¡Hasta mañana!

.

.

HUGS!

.

.