I woke up at half past ten this morning and immediately went into a complete spin because my meds were all at least two hours overdue. It doesn't matter so much with the pills but the IV is a different kettle of fish altogether. Fortunately the occasional blip doesn't seem to make much difference and the only danger I seemed to be in was having an empty cassette. Cassettes changed, pills taken and crisis over I made a nice cuppa and remained in bed to read the paper. I cannot remember the last time I had a proper lie in and, once over the shock, relaxed back and enjoyed it. It was gone half past eleven by the time I was up and about, how naughty am I?
Andrew came home yesterday for an over night stay and things are not going well.
It is freshers week and it seems his house mates have interpreted this as 'who can stay drunk the longest'. Andrew's idea of a night out is a couple of pints in a quiet pub where he can enjoy good conversation. His house mates think it means getting hammered every night and throwing up in the bathroom every morning. Andrew has been kept awake most nights by constant parties and then spends most of the day on his own cleaning up. He is not happy.
Next week proper lessons start so he reckons that they will all calm down then as they will have work to do and that will keep them out of the pub, it also means no more organised events on campus so less opportunity to get drunk. If they don't then he is seriously considering asking for a house move but I suspect most of the houses are exactly the same at the moment. The problem is that they are all very young. A couple are only just eighteen and none have been away from home before and seem used to having everything done for them. Some even appear incapable of locking, or even closing the front door. Andrew emerged from his room one morning to find two total strangers going through the cupboards in the kitchen, he was not impressed. There is one bloke there who is a bit older than the others and he and Andrew have struck up a bit of a friendship so it isn't all doom and gloom and of course he hasn't met any of his course mates yet so he might find Tom isn't the only one he gets on with.
The Saturday night event was billed as the 'Smirnoff Send Off' and described as the 'last big blow out before the real work begins'. Deciding that he was not going to spend Sunday one his own cleaning the kitchen, again, he packed a rucksack and came home arriving just after lunch yesterday afternoon. The kitchen is the bain of his life. Like me he believes that cleanliness in the kitchen and bathroom are sacrosanct. The rest of the house can be a mess but the kitchen and bathroom have to be pristine at all times. Some of his house mates make a rudimentary effort to clean up after themselves but others seem to be of the 'wait until I have nothing left to eat off' inclination. I have advised Andrew to grit his teeth, clean the area he is working in and then wash only his own stuff up. If he keeps cleaning for them they will expect him to do it and that is not fair.
There was some excitement though as he has the dates for his first placement and he has been measured for his uniform. He will get five shirts, five tee shirts, three pairs of cargo trousers, one pair of capped boots, a hi viz waterproof, a hi viz summer coat, a fleece, a utility belt and a stab vest. The stab vest is custom made so if he will keep that with him for life or until he changes shape. He is also being supplied with basic equipment such as a stethoscope, which again are his for his entire career. His first lecture is at nine on Monday morning and he cannot wait.
Since being home he has eaten for an army but did not bring any dirty washing as, as he proudly explained, he'd done it all before he left. We have agreed that until his house mates settle down he will come home at weekends, just for a break from the noise and mess. I can't see this lasting beyond the end of the month as I'm sure once he starts making friends and everyone settles into their courses and has masses of work to do he will feel more inclined to stay put. He will be home next weekend though as it is his birthday and we have planned a family meal.
I got up to a bit of mischief yesterday, OK, it may not be everyone's idea of naughtiness but when you are banned from doing something even the most mundane task seems exciting. I vacuumed and mopped the floors! Only downstairs, I couldn't get the hoover upstairs, but I felt such a sense of achievement afterwards. It did mean I spent the rest of the day on the settee either watching TV or chatting to Andrew, but it was worth it just for the feeling of doing something 'normal'.
Today I'm cooking one of Andrew's favourites, sausage, mash, peas and gravy for lunch and then we will escort him part of the way back to uni, he got lost coming home, before settling down with a nice bottle of wine. I don't drink often but I think a treat is in order tonight. As this is turning into a weekend of 'doing everything I shouldn't' or as I like to call it 'living normally' I may as well end it in a similar fashion. I will probably regret it tomorrow but as they say, tomorrow is another day.
Talking of lunch, I'd better get started o my men will be raiding the fridge.
Andrew came home yesterday for an over night stay and things are not going well.
It is freshers week and it seems his house mates have interpreted this as 'who can stay drunk the longest'. Andrew's idea of a night out is a couple of pints in a quiet pub where he can enjoy good conversation. His house mates think it means getting hammered every night and throwing up in the bathroom every morning. Andrew has been kept awake most nights by constant parties and then spends most of the day on his own cleaning up. He is not happy.
Next week proper lessons start so he reckons that they will all calm down then as they will have work to do and that will keep them out of the pub, it also means no more organised events on campus so less opportunity to get drunk. If they don't then he is seriously considering asking for a house move but I suspect most of the houses are exactly the same at the moment. The problem is that they are all very young. A couple are only just eighteen and none have been away from home before and seem used to having everything done for them. Some even appear incapable of locking, or even closing the front door. Andrew emerged from his room one morning to find two total strangers going through the cupboards in the kitchen, he was not impressed. There is one bloke there who is a bit older than the others and he and Andrew have struck up a bit of a friendship so it isn't all doom and gloom and of course he hasn't met any of his course mates yet so he might find Tom isn't the only one he gets on with.
The Saturday night event was billed as the 'Smirnoff Send Off' and described as the 'last big blow out before the real work begins'. Deciding that he was not going to spend Sunday one his own cleaning the kitchen, again, he packed a rucksack and came home arriving just after lunch yesterday afternoon. The kitchen is the bain of his life. Like me he believes that cleanliness in the kitchen and bathroom are sacrosanct. The rest of the house can be a mess but the kitchen and bathroom have to be pristine at all times. Some of his house mates make a rudimentary effort to clean up after themselves but others seem to be of the 'wait until I have nothing left to eat off' inclination. I have advised Andrew to grit his teeth, clean the area he is working in and then wash only his own stuff up. If he keeps cleaning for them they will expect him to do it and that is not fair.
There was some excitement though as he has the dates for his first placement and he has been measured for his uniform. He will get five shirts, five tee shirts, three pairs of cargo trousers, one pair of capped boots, a hi viz waterproof, a hi viz summer coat, a fleece, a utility belt and a stab vest. The stab vest is custom made so if he will keep that with him for life or until he changes shape. He is also being supplied with basic equipment such as a stethoscope, which again are his for his entire career. His first lecture is at nine on Monday morning and he cannot wait.
Since being home he has eaten for an army but did not bring any dirty washing as, as he proudly explained, he'd done it all before he left. We have agreed that until his house mates settle down he will come home at weekends, just for a break from the noise and mess. I can't see this lasting beyond the end of the month as I'm sure once he starts making friends and everyone settles into their courses and has masses of work to do he will feel more inclined to stay put. He will be home next weekend though as it is his birthday and we have planned a family meal.
I got up to a bit of mischief yesterday, OK, it may not be everyone's idea of naughtiness but when you are banned from doing something even the most mundane task seems exciting. I vacuumed and mopped the floors! Only downstairs, I couldn't get the hoover upstairs, but I felt such a sense of achievement afterwards. It did mean I spent the rest of the day on the settee either watching TV or chatting to Andrew, but it was worth it just for the feeling of doing something 'normal'.
Today I'm cooking one of Andrew's favourites, sausage, mash, peas and gravy for lunch and then we will escort him part of the way back to uni, he got lost coming home, before settling down with a nice bottle of wine. I don't drink often but I think a treat is in order tonight. As this is turning into a weekend of 'doing everything I shouldn't' or as I like to call it 'living normally' I may as well end it in a similar fashion. I will probably regret it tomorrow but as they say, tomorrow is another day.
Talking of lunch, I'd better get started o my men will be raiding the fridge.
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