Touring Ro---bins business

 Instead of going to see Kay today I went by bus up to see Robins operation at Arlington.  Across the street from the airport.  I have been wanting to see Mary, and the expanded operation there.  Robins company is in at least two buildings because of the need for space. But getting there is  not easy unless you drive a car.  I don't any longer and as driving the freeway in the morning and afternoon is a big hassle I could not expect Bob to come down and get me then bring me back in the afternoon. So for a number of days I considered taking the bus.  We have a multi-billion dollar regional bus and rail system that is supposed to reduce auto congestion around the Puget Sound. Which it does not of course.  In our younger days Kay and I used the streetcar system in Seattle so we are not strangers to public transportation. Because my eyes are so bad  made  trying to figure out problems if I were to get lost because I use the walker and have a limited distance I could go in case of problems.  So I wondered if it was a good idea.  After a long time of contemplation I finally decided to give it try.  I had not used the bus in Seattle for decades.  And very limited times in Tacoma.  It said there were transfer stations at various points so figured there would be rest room and maybe restaurants at the stations in case I needed them.  Boy was I wrong there.   But just to be prepared I took enough calories in the form of truffles, crackers, and potato chips.  You see I have to take insulin and calories to manage my diabetes.  I take my medications with me when I leave this place where I cant get the staff here to give them to me.  But to take the diabetic medication  I need food about that time.  My plan was to get to Everett in the morning where Bob lives and he would then take me up to Arlington where Robins business is.  The Sounder express bus is the bus part of Sounder Regional Rail System. I have the problem of going from here to the Tacoma Dome station by Tacoma bus, then to Seattle on the sounder express buss then to Everett on the Sounder bus. 
the Tacoma bus only goes once an hour.  OK there as when I get to the Taco dome station the buses there go to Seattle at that time of day every ten minutes. I didn't know that but thought it went every 30 minutes as that is what  I was told.  I got up early after a  restless night of sleep, Made the 6:15 bus from here and when I got to the Taco Dome I got off the bus and waited for the following bus which was a Sounder and right behind my bus.  Great surprise.  Traffic was light so we got to Seattle transfer point fairly fast.  At 4th and Cherry I had a shock and surprise.  I had thought I would find a building where I could get inside the rain that came upon us while driving to Seattle and all it was there was the street and even then not even a street shelter to get out of it.  I had expected find out the bus number going to Everett but instead of someone I was on my own.  Fortunately  I had brought the Bus schedule book which gave me the Bus numbers to look for.  Besides the bus I wanted would have the destination on it anyway. In a while after I worried what I was going to do handicapped by the walker and my bad back and knees not to mention my bad eyesight.  Without  any trouble  I got to Everett for Bob to pick me up about 8:30.  
During the day we toured the plant, had lunch with the engineers where They mostly talked shop.  Or something relating.  The rest of the trip will have to wait and besides you are no doubt bored stiff if you bothered to read this far.  I saw Mary, and got back at 6:45 on  account of the slow traffic.  I am too late to post the pictures or video in addition to embedding the formal dinner last night.  

Eating out on Sunday

 Bob came down to take us out to the OCB to eat.  For once the place didn't have a long line at the register. A line but not a long one.  We were late getting there and I had told them not to give her a full meal as I wanted her to eat most at the OCB.  But she was finishing up a plate so she was not very hungry when we got to the OCB.  Still she ate quite a lot for someone who had just gotten up  from the table.  We took her to the community room as she didn't seem to want to stay in her room.  Leaving her there in the community room is harder it seems to me to do.  You can sit her in a chair but when you say goodbye and start to walk out it is easy for her to follow  you to the elevator across the hall.  Maybe because we had been with her and  we had just come back from the restaurant she is not in a mood to leave us.  There might be just something created in her mind to stay with us. But for me to look at her and force the break is hard for me to do.  It seems much easier to say goodbye alone in her room for me.  Most of the time she will stay on her bed and wave as I wave back.  Bob being there probably changes things. Or just coming back from the little trip might have created in her something else.   Leaving the community room  a caregiver will be there to keep her from following. But of course the caregiver might have to actually block her following. 

Eating out

 Bob came down and we took Kay out to eat about 2 pm.  Our test to see how she eats non puree foods is not very good because she is now on a non puree diet and they tell me she ate a lot better at noon.  As we got her about 1 30 she probably was not hungry especially if she ate well at noon.  However she had a salad plate of cottage cheese, fruit, and a couple other items I forget what.  She ate some corn chowder but not a lot.  She seemed to choke a little one time but not a serious one. She then had a regular plate of food which I don't remember what.  They are   giving her a non puree test for 72 hours to see how well she does.  She ate a lot better I think but I will look into it in more detail tomorrow when I have more time and she has been on it longer.  But according to some there she is eating better.  
We brought her home about 3 30 then boB brought me home. 

My room is top right

boB visits and brings the Martin 0019

boB came down to visit Kay today.  He called too late for me to cancel the shuttle pickup and go with him but as he took the scenic route down US 99 we both got there about the same time.  I was able to cancel the return pickup and he brought me home after we took Kay back to her place.  We went to the Old Country Buffet in Lakewood but there was a long lineup looked like from a church so I suggested we go to Ihops as we know Kay likes pancakes.   We had a good long time dinner there although I picked a meal way too much like I get here at Cascade Vista so did not like it too much.  Next time I will be sure to pick something with pancakes or a substitute.  Their gravy was too much like the canned stuff we get here.  Kay at

e almost all her 3 pancakes even though she may have eaten some candy that dulled her appetite. When boB got Kay home she seemed reluctant to let us go but when we were getting into the elevator to leave she did wave to us in response to ours so maybe she accepted it. I am always afraid she will be too unhappy when I leave her.    

A bunch of years ago I gave my Martin 0019 guitar to boB  because my arthritis was getting so I could not play it.  Lately my left hand felt pretty good and I wondered if I could play the guitar again.  So I asked him to bring it down for me to try.  Here is an example of me trying to play it after at least 10 years I think. Maybe less but a long time.  

Thanksgiving with Bob and Kay

 We had a very nice visit with Kay.  Bob and I.  He got here a little late. They told me she was in a bad mood and was not properly dressed.  I had called ahead and asked they get her dressed so we could take her out for lunch.  When I saw her she was sitting in the community room with the others and had on a real concoction of things.  A blouse (OK)  Another blouse or outer garmet not too bad but then she had put these over her  night gown of which I am not sure was hers.  Seems to me she had something else but I don't remember what.  These were over a pair of ugly pants I don't remember seeing before.  She had no shoes, or socks on.  Just barefoot.  She is real short of shoes and slippers but has plenty of socks. Up until a couple days ago she had a pair of attractive slippers or maybe they were slip on shoes. But now there is only one left the other disappeared   She has  just one pair of slippers.  This thing happens all  the time I am sure.  I can be in the room with her and hear the door from the hall opening and you would think it would be a caregiver coming in to do something but most likely it is some lost patient opening the door.  I cant see who is opening the door from where we are.  That is how Kay winds up in other rooms and beds. Lost.  They tell me she walks a lot.  Yesterday she seemed real feeble and I wonder how she does.  This is a big negative about this place.  All they have to do when alone is walk these halls.  No naturally lit areas.  They are making do as well as they can with the size of the property but I don't like this having no place to be of a pleasant nature. It hurts me to think of Kay having to be in such   confined quarters. Every day when I see her I have to leave her in this condition. 

As it would not do to  take her out in this condition I thought I would try my hand at getting her into proper attire.  So with the Caregevers help I started encouraging Kay to get the blouses off so we could get a brassier on her the build from there.  It took some encouragement but she did it.  At one time I told the caregiver to step back and let me get some of the clothes on her because Kay seemed to resist what the caregiver was trying to do. Kay's resistance to the Caregiver was not where  I thought she had something about this particular because of the way the caregiver treated her.  Maybe it was just the mood Kay was in.  But anyway we finally got her properly dressed and I combed her hair which she never resists me doing. Darn, I accidentally brought her comb home with me.  I had recently taken two there as she seemed to be out.  I had recently brought two because she never seemed- to have a comb.  I immediately left the comb out somewhere and it disappeared quickly.  But I had this one left which I kept in a drawer by her bed.  Patients from other rooms do  not seem to go into drawers in night stands.    

I brought Kay downstairs and we went looking for OCB but wound up at iHops instead.  I had boB take some pictures and I will show them but I need to decide about them  yet.

She is not laughing out

loud just responding to Bobs request for a big smile.

I wanted to go to the Old Country Buffet but there was such a long line we decided to look around for something else.  We found an iHops not closed and not too busy so stopped there.   There is more to tell but I have to stop now I have only been at this for an hour and a half I guess.  I will post the video tomorrow.  Two old people with walkers.  Very exciting.

Bob and I visit Kay, new camera

I am worried about Kay today. I worry although I know that changes  have to come.  They come to everyone with dementia.   Kay seemed a little different today. I keep looking every time I see her.  I went to see Kay today with Bob who came down and took me over.  He had come down to pick someone up at Seatac  So he came here before he went to the airport.  She  seemed very feeble when walking.  She had a hard time understanding us when we went into the Community room  to get her. . We shared the walker going to the car and into the food  court at Tacoma mall. We went back to the same place where Hilary took us the day she came down.  I wonder if her feebleness is due to the fact that she just doesn't do enough exercising by walking?  If you don't use muscles they get bad quite fast.  But she seemed to show a deminished mental state although there were  a couple times she showed that her brain was working clearly.  Bob said something and she agreed with him immediately indicating that she was thinking clearly at least at that moment. Yesterday she seemed to have a bad headache or earache.  I wonder if perhaps she might still have had some of it and just did not mention it.  I didn't think to ask if she hurt anywhere.  When I took her back and left her at Cascade she didn't object when I left although I am not sure she really knew what I was saying.  She will usually smile at me and even perhaps wave.  Today none of that.  

Bob took me to Walmart and I  replaced the Sony I bought a could days ago. I bought a Samsung as they were out of the  model Sony I bought the other day.  I am sure glad I did as the Samsung is head and shoulders easier to setup, and operate.I am not sure the picture is up to what the Sony was supposed to do as I  never got the chance to see any specs on the samsung.
 The specs for the Sony looked good and I have not seen the specs on the Samsung yet as they don't seem to list the specs listed as they used to do.  Bummer as I like to know what I am getting.  but I already  have done a few seconds of  video and it 
 looks good. Sony keeps putting something up for you to buy which gets in the way..   Bob took some pictures and I will post a couple as I usually do when I get them.  The change in Kay worries me.