May 28

Ruth was definitely in an interesting frame of mind today. I had my busy day planned and thought I would visit with her for about an hour...it turned into 5 hours...so much for plans.

On the way over I stopped and got her yogurt and pudding. I also got her a little dress that she will hopefully slip on when leaving her room INSTEAD of parading around in her night gown. I figured it was worth a try. I picked her up a pair of white deerform slippers and a couple of new night gowns.
When I arrived I noticed Joyce eating ice cream . I said hi and asked how things were. She said," Oh she's been on a tear all day, all day." I smiled and said ," Do I need armor?" Joyce laughed and said," Maybe..."
Ruth opened the door and was SOOOOOO excited to see me, she said, " I was thinking about you." I said," Well, you thought me here." She laughed .... I showed her my bags of goodies. She is like a little kid getting gifts sometimes. She seemed to like everything, including the dress...we'll see....
She was so chatty today. We explored so many different universes and most of the time she seemed to know exactly what we were talking about. She is now zeroing in on different things in her life out of the clear blue. For some reason Scott seems to be on her mind a lot. I tell her she really needs to talk with Cindy about Scott as she knows a lot more about him.Next on her list is Jack...Jack's Mom Louise, Jack's brother Lyman , Jack's Dad George, Martine...she goes over and over the family relationships with Jacks peeps . She is most obsessed with Jacks Mom Louise today. Out of no where she asks if I knew Court. I say yes. She asks if I know he died. I say yes. She asks,"How did he die?' ...I am dead in the water...she is just staring at me. I look at her and say," Ruth, I really don't think we need to talk about this now." She says," Oh, so you don't know how he died." I say,"Well, yes I do. Ruth ,do you know how Rick died?'' She pauses for a minute and then quietly says," Yes, he committed suicide." I say,"Yes ,that is so hard ,isn't it..." We spent the next 30 minutes going over every detail of what happened. She even told me things I didn't know had happened. For all of these years, I think Ruth has bottled up how she felt and for some reason she chose today to talk about everything. She was not overwhelmed with sadness , she was just stating how she felt and what happened. I told her that she should always feel like she can talk about the good and bad things about Court. She seems to feel like she can do that now...dementia is so strange..After Court she was back to Jack and Lyman,seems like she dated Lyman first,which is how she met Jack. She told some fun stories about she and Jack ...she then went right back to how lousy he was...She was especially fretful about Claires drive this weekend as it is a holiday. She said it was a 2 hour drive. I nonchalantly said it was a one hour drive. She bowed up a little bit and said ,"No , it was 2 hours, she had just driven it." I laughed and said," Ruth honey, it was a 2 hour drive with you at 35 MPH but it is a one hour drive for normal people at 70 MPH>' That's right, I stuck my neck right out there. She turned around a looked at me and laughed while shaking her head and said," you are such a hoot, I'll bet you are right. So, will it only take Cindy 1 hour?" I said, " Yes maam. 1 hour from door to door." She said," Thank goodness, I won't worry as much."
Next topic..ERROL...too funny...she said she and Errol went for a couple of walks today. She said she still hasn't figured out where his room is. She said she met his lovely daughter Valerie. She said she made a couple of jokes because she didn't want Valerie to go back to her Mom and say she had met Erolls girlfriend. She added," I don't like people to talk like we are an item, I mean, if that happens then they can talk , I just want to let nature run its course." Isaid,"Are you afraid everyone will say...Ruth and Errol sitting in a tree?" She laughed out loud and said,"Yeah, something like that.You are too funny." We spend a lot of time on Errol..how he looks, acts, his hair patterns,possibilities for him being her'boyfriend', his age...on and on...it is just too much... My guess would be that Eroll is in his late 60's . Ruth said he is probably much younger than her but that doesn't matter...JUST TOO MUCH...

We talked a lot about genealogy..she was very interested today.

She looks at the clock and says it is after 6, the day has flown by. She says she has had such a busy day with the party to welcome new residents, all her work and our lovely visit. I tell her I need to get home to fix dinner. She dresses to walk me out. She runs into a lady at the mailboxes who can't figure out her keys. Ruth swoops in like a mother hen and shows her her pink tape and says she will take her to the front desk and get her keys fixed. I am out of the picture now. Ruth and her student of the keys are chatting away while walking to the front. I tell her I am leaving and that Mike will either call her or come by tomorrow, what ever she would like. She asks,"Who, who who who?" O K , she only said it once. I say,"Mike". She seems confused and says," You know, last Saturday I thought I was going to get a visit from my son Mike but this other guy showed up." ...SQUARE ONE AGAIN....I tell her that was her son Mike..She quickly says," Oh, I know, whatever is best for him. Just have him call me so I know what he wants to do." I say I will and tell her goodbye.She is off on her new mission to save all the confused key holders of the world.

I get to Target and she calls and says she only has 2 cigarettes. I ask if she can make it til the morning. She says no. I tell her I will come back. This means that she has smoked a carton in 5 days. I stop at CVS and buy her 3 cartons. I am a little aggravated because I had to go all the way back AFTER being there all afternoon. I decide I am being selfish so to ease my guilt I drive on down to KFC and get her some chicken. She is standing in the hall ,in her night gown BUT at least she has her lovely new "divine slippers on". She says she has been waiting forever. I show her the 3 cartons of cigarettes and her KFC. She coos like a dove. SHE LOVES ME>>SHE REALLY LOVES ME(Sally Field reference)... She HAS to write me a check for the cigs. I let her. I really don't want to pay for her cigs or beer. I rationalize it all out in my mind that we will pay for her food, etc and she can pay for her cigs and beer. I know, it is all the same...She wants me to stay...I sit down for a bit and then tell her I still need to go feed Mike. It is 7:45...she says she is so excited about her chicken and that it will take her an hour to eat it...I tell her to eat and enjoy and to have a good nights sleep. She says she will and that I am the best friend she has ever had.
Not one time, in the whole day did she complain about being at Corinthians. When I got back she said she had been working like a whore, thats right, not a horse, a whore. She said she had changed her sheets and remade her bed. I reminded her that Corinthians will do that for her. She said she knew but she wanted it to be especially nice for Claires visit. I say I understand. She says she will let me out...
Good night Ruth...