May 27...Ruth, Ruth, Ruth

It is difficult to keep up with Ruth's shenanigans these days. It is like dealing with a rebellious 2 yr old. We are at a loss as to what to do ....

Monday was quiet...I worried...

Mike came home early Tuesday so I could visit with Ruth. I should have stayed home. I arrive with my usual fare, shrimp, yogurt, pudding, cocktail sauce, and the needed eye drops...She is glad to see me , appreciates the food, wrong eye drops...She is trying to zip her bathrobe and wonders if I can try to do it for her. I zip it right up.She can't believe it as only a few select people can zip it....it's just a simple zipper but Ruth can not manage it anymore. She keeps going back to how thankful she is that I could zip her robe throughout the entire visit. Her T V is NOT WORKING AGAIN( it is user error but she thinks its the "damn TV")...soooo glad we bought her a brand new flat screen...After her tirade about the T V she launches into her bodily function problems...HELP!!!!...So much too much information... She doesn't feel well, has a stomach ache...She is mopey and extremely whiny. I think she seems defeated today. We chat for about an hour and she says she has got to go to the desk to get them to fix her T V and to get her carpet cleaned due to said bodily function issues. I tell her she can walk me out . As soon as we get out the door she asks where we are going. I tell her she wanted to go to the front desk. We pitter patter on up there and she leans over the desk and asks Dominique how she is doing. Dominique says she is great and asks Ruth how she is doing. Ruth says she is just lovely and cuts her eyes over at me so that she is sure that I understand her sarcasm. She proceeds to tell Dominique that she needs her carpet cleaned as she had an accident. Dominique is very pleasant(as always) and says she will put in a work order for the next day and asks Ruth what she got on the carpet. Ruth looks at her and says," None of your damn business." Dominique looks a little stunned. Ruth looks at me and says," I know you want to hit me." I laugh and say that I absolutely do not...that might have been a little bit of a lie ...Ruth then tells Dominique that she wants her to get someone to come and take her damn T V out and take it back . She says she will have to just beg or borrow another T V. Dominique reminds Ruth that she had just fixed the T V so she could watch Dr Phil...I am just standing there like a mute dummy.. Ruth is chattering away about something. Dominique says she will go back AGAIN and put the T V on the right channel. Ruth is wearing everyone out with the T V issues. I tell Ruth I will see her when I get my Van back...Ruth calls as soon as I get home to let me know how much she appreciates all I do and to say she wishes I had just stayed longer...

Wednesday is totally quiet.. We pick up the Tahoe at 7 PM....

Thursday is still quiet...I go to see Ruth at 3...When I walk in I ask Carla how things are going...not so good...It seems like Ms Ruth has decided to mingle more..It seems like she has decided to come out of her room at meal time...That SHOULD be a great thing...not so much... Carla says that Ruth has been very agitated. She says she comes to the dining room in her night gown and they have to remind her she needs to come dressed. Carla said that Ruth is refusing to eat but she is wandering from table to table bothering people. When she is asked to sit down to eat she says she doesn't have to eat that food as she has shrimp cocktail and beer in her room. Today she arrived for lunch and sat in a spot that another lady always sits in. She was asked to move by the ladies lunch companions and by the lady AND by the staff but she refused. Carla said she saw Ruth's mean side today. The lady left the dining room and asked for her meal to be sent to her room. Ruth called the other lady at the table a bitch but she stayed right where she was, as did Mary, the lady she called a bitch....so sad I missed all of that... I asked Carla if Ruth was in her room. Carla rolled her eyes and said she had been down asking about the Bible Study group so she may be there...Carla added,"good luck." I laughed... nervously..
I met Ruth at the elevator. I am not sure if she knew who I was. She said she was trying to find the Bible Study Class and Pat walks up about the same time. She asks Pat where it is. Pat smiles and says," I told you it was upstairs ." Ruth goes into how hot the elevator is and how she got off of it . Pat says she can walk up the stairs. Ruth says no. Pat laughs and walks away. Ruth asks her why said she said she ''told her it was upstairs''. Pat said because she asked her 2 minutes before. Ruth said she forgot. We get on the elevator and get off in front of the Bible Study group. Ruth doesn't want to walk in as she says they will all want to talk to her. I suggest we sit on the couch outside the door. They are having a full fledged come to Jesus meeting and Ruth wants to sit right outside the door and chat, loudly. There are just no boundaries for Ruth now. She tells me about her 'dining room' experience and says that they are messing with the wrong person as no one will tell her she has to move... I just nod and stare... The Bible Study peeps are interrupting her train of thought so she says she is ready to go and that it is nice that they pray for people but that this is not 'her' group.
On the way back to her room she stops people we pass to ask them if the heard what went on in the dining room. They say they did. Ruth gives her point of view. Like me, they nod and stare. We run into Joyce(oh me oh my)...Joyce is on her side and says there are no reservations. Ruth's ears perk up as she realizes she has an ally. She says that the superior(Mike figured out that she must be referring to the Mother Superior from Ruths boarding school days) came out and said the same thing so she won that round. Joyce explains how it used to work there as everyone had assigned tables but the new owners changed that. She added info about several of the guests. Ruth was in hog heaven. Joyce explained that Ruth could always sit with her( BAD IDEA) or sit at the second table. Ruth said she should be able to sit wherever she wants if she gets there first and walks off. I tell Joyce ,"thank you". Joyce says," we'll keep trying, everytime she walks away the workers say she is making them crazy." I sigh and say, "I know."
We get back to the room. Ruth tells me Errol has FIXED her T V... I love you Errol...He actually gave her his phone number and room number so hopefully he will be able to keep her in T V land. She is all over the place in her conversation today. She talks about Mikes job, Claire's impending job change and move, Jack, Scott, Tracey, Linda and the lousy food at Corinthians. I am taken aback by some of her comments and try to correct some of the things she is off base about. I don't know why I feel the need to do that as I am sure not the chosen spokesperson for any of the family members and she won't remember what I said in an hour. She is unusually busy today..up and down and up and down..After a couple of hours she stands and says she has to go. I don't get up immediately as I am not sure she means it. She looks at me and says,"Come on, we have to go." I say great and ask where we are going. She says," I am so busy. I have a lot of organizing to do. I need to get to work." I follow her out. We hear Doc singing in the dining room. She says she forgot he was singing today. We arrive at the dining room and she says she wants to sit in the back so Doc won't mention that she is there...We sit at 2 of the stools at the bar. She leans over and tells Lena,who is sitting on her walker in front of her to move over. Lena gives Ruth the death look , stands, scoots her walker over and sits down. I am stunned. Doc starts singing. I tell Ruth to enjoy the music and that I have to go. She grabs a hold of my hand and says she understands and that she will miss me . She also says she appreciates me coming to see her. Pat follows me out. I tell her I don't know what to say about Ruth's actions. She says she knows and that she will be fine.