Entry tags:
Dumbella Strikes Again
More stories of Mom's housekeeper:
Story the first:
Mom was sitting at the kitchen table when the housekeeper came in and said "The porch light burned out so I replaced it." "Did you put in one of the new energy-saving ones?" "No, I put in a regular one." Which turned out to be a 100 watt bulb. In a porch light that is on All The Time. A regular bulb, which will burn out pretty much immediately after being used that often and which uses more energy. Why does my mom even have those bulbs, you might ask? Because she has touch lamps in her house (easier for her to turn on) and the low-energy bulbs are not good for those multi-brightness lamps so she uses regular incandescents for those.
Story the second:
The other day as she was leaving my mother was also getting ready to leave the house. So the housekeeper helpfully started the van so it could warm up. My mother is pretty slow getting around, so the housekeeper was gone by the time Mom got out to the garage. Where she found the car running with the garage door shut.
Story the third:
Mom asked her to buy some plums at the grocery store, but the store was out of plums. Instead of calling Mom to ask what she wanted instead, the housekeeper just bought a bunch of tangerines. Mom's hands don't really work very well and she CANNOT peel tangerines. Which the housekeeper knew because Mom tried tangerines before and had to throw them out after realizing she could not peel them on her own.
But on the other hand Mom insists that Dumbella has done a lot of really helpful things too, and that Dumbella's daughters are a joy to have around and are very helpful. They come over and play games with Mom and one of them helps her a lot with computer stuff (she designed Mom's Christmas letter and it looked really nice).
Story the first:
Mom was sitting at the kitchen table when the housekeeper came in and said "The porch light burned out so I replaced it." "Did you put in one of the new energy-saving ones?" "No, I put in a regular one." Which turned out to be a 100 watt bulb. In a porch light that is on All The Time. A regular bulb, which will burn out pretty much immediately after being used that often and which uses more energy. Why does my mom even have those bulbs, you might ask? Because she has touch lamps in her house (easier for her to turn on) and the low-energy bulbs are not good for those multi-brightness lamps so she uses regular incandescents for those.
Story the second:
The other day as she was leaving my mother was also getting ready to leave the house. So the housekeeper helpfully started the van so it could warm up. My mother is pretty slow getting around, so the housekeeper was gone by the time Mom got out to the garage. Where she found the car running with the garage door shut.
Story the third:
Mom asked her to buy some plums at the grocery store, but the store was out of plums. Instead of calling Mom to ask what she wanted instead, the housekeeper just bought a bunch of tangerines. Mom's hands don't really work very well and she CANNOT peel tangerines. Which the housekeeper knew because Mom tried tangerines before and had to throw them out after realizing she could not peel them on her own.
But on the other hand Mom insists that Dumbella has done a lot of really helpful things too, and that Dumbella's daughters are a joy to have around and are very helpful. They come over and play games with Mom and one of them helps her a lot with computer stuff (she designed Mom's Christmas letter and it looked really nice).
no subject
They do make the fluorescent bulbs for touch lights now, i think they are still pretty expensive though. My grandma uses them, but my uncle gets them cheap from somewhere.
Second story.
WTF. Someone could have died there. Thats not excusable.
Third.
I take the cell to the store when I go for my grandma, and call at least 3 times for various things.
She is picky about what she wants and its her money so I figure I better get it right unless i want to return something.
This lady seems like she needs life lessons. How old is she? Old enough to have kids that can use a computer...so I am guessing late 30's or 40's. She should know these things by now.
Does she learn from past mistakes? or does she just not care? That is a tough situation to be in. I would feel the same if someone were giving less than adequate care to my mother.
no subject
LOL on calling your grandmother three times. That's what I would do too!
Mom should make her take stuff back next time she gets tangerines. That might teach her.
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I was a caregiver many times and it is hard not to be lazy when the person you are with doesn't MAKE you do things.
I worked for a man who was paralyzed from the waist down and damn we were lazy. I would get there at 9am and we would sit and talk and watch movies then maybe I would make lunch but usually he would get something ordered. (Free lunch for me) then we would watch TV and go through the bills and I would do some laundry. Then his friends would come over and we would play drinking games. I could stay or go. I would usually go do something on my own and have him page me when he was ready for bed. Then I would get him into bed. In retrospect I could have helped him alot more, and I probably should have pushed him to do some therapy or find better friends or even just eat healthier food...I regret that, but it was his choice as well.
It was hands down the best job I ever had. It paid very well.
no subject