Piggy in the middle

One day when I was in the summer house a neighbour made some strange comments about me watching tv too loud and glared at me. I was confused as I wear headphones or use subtitles. After a couple of hours I realised that she could probably hear Steve watching stuff on his tablet.

I mentioned this to him and he  purchased four different sets of headphones. It took him a while to find some that were comfortable. This was ok for a couple of days, but yesterday he wasn't wearing them and I could hear the resident next door banging and crashing in her kitchen. I'm assuming that was her way of communicating her displeasure. So after a we'd eaten I suggested he put his headphones on. He immediately threw a strop, shouted at me, claimed his tablet wasn't loud and that I was being difficult as he couldn't possibly be disturbing anyone  and went off to bed in a strop. I work on the theory that if I can hear something it's too loud and I could hear his tablet. Which is why  mentioned it.

So now what do I do? I don't wish to fall out with the neighbours but I do struggle to get Steve to behave reasonably. He is convinced he isn't deaf and that I and other people are complaining for no reason!

Can't tell my fish from my chips.

Sometimes on a Friday we have a takeaway, either fish and chips or a Chinese.

Last week we had fish and chips it was very tasty but I couldn't tell until the food was in my mouth wether I had a mouthful of fish or chips, that how bad my eyesight is now. Chinese food is easier, the rice is mainly white and as I usually have satay it's usually peanut butter colour.

Steve is still refusing to mix with the neighbours, heaven knows what tale of woe he will tell them if/when he finally gets over his self isolation. I will be blamed I'm sure. 

All I can do is carry on and hope for the best though it is irritating to be blamed  for Steve's decisions.

All things white and beautiful

Walking Beano, everywhere looks so beautiful, such a heavy frost.

The grass outside our window has been white all day with no sign of a thaw.

The cobwebs on the bushes and letter boxes are thick and white.

Bloody freezing

The garden outside is white with frost it's not thawed all day.

I'm sat under a blanket as it so cold

Steve is cooking breast of lamb, he bought a piece big enough to serve 8 but there is only the two of us.

He covers the potatoes with mixed herbs, less is not more when Steve is cooking. He can't manage roast potatoes so he does herb potatoes. 

He has decided not to eat any vegetables any more but will cook some for me. He wanted to take over all the cooking as he's decided that everything I cook is crap. But after a couple of weeks he lost interes, I think he realised it wasn't as easy as he thought.

My foot is very painful, probably self inflicted, I have a very bad habit of sitting on my feet so I've probably damaged them.

Knackered

We had a Tesco delivery due this morning, Steve was up, dressed and following it's progress in plenty of time. After pacing around the flat panicking, he eventually walked up to the car park. I know the numbering system here is confusing but I'm sure the driver would either find us or phone for more information. Steve met the van and escorted the driver to our flat.

Next, the plumber arrived, he's been here before and he was early so he arrived before Steve began to panic.

This evening Steve ordered fish and chips via Just Eat, again, after pacing the floor and following the delivery on his phone he went up to the car park again. He was convinced someone else would receive our delivery. Eventually he returned with the fish and chips and we were able to eat.  I did suggest he spoke to our Dr about his panicking but as usual he refused.

He must find this constant pacing and panicking exhausting, I certainly do.

His head phones arrived this morning but he has decided he doesn't need them so he is reading instead of watching YouTube. I've told him he must wear them otherwise the neighbours will complain again.

Thursday

I was checking online for information about gout. The Daily Wail carries an article about how sex improves gout. I may tell Steve just to watch him recoil in horror! 

Steve's personality has undergone a dramatic change since he had his stroke a few years ago. He has reverted to being a teenager in some ways and it gets worse as time goes on I was probably hurt to start with but now his behaviour rarely bothers me.

He refuses to eat fruit and veg and has a very limited and unhealthy diet, he wants only junk food to eat and complains that I  can't cook it like his mum. His mum was a lovely lady, but no cook, everything was either undercooked or boiled a mush.

I currently wear nightclothes in bed at his request as the sight of my naked body made him feel sick. He seems to think he has the body of an Adonis as he still sleeps naked.I

Sometimes he's unpleasant to me in front of friends and can't understand why the tell him not to speak to me that way.

Yesterday I had a good day, cold and frosty but best of all dry. Beano and I went out for three walks and two of them were quite long. I shall be glad when the footpaths dry out as I currently cannot get to the nearby park as the access is ankle deep in mud. Even with wellies on I struggle as the mud is thick and very clingy.  Beano and I miss the park as it's his only chance to walk off the lead. On the tow path he was never on the lead.

I'm hoping Steve will join in with the gardening when the weather improves, I think it would do him good to get some fresh air and do something outside.

Steve has gout.

Not for the first time, he seems to get it once a year. I know it's painful, I had it once myself.

To ensure that we don't bump Steve's foot, Beano and I are squished onto the very edge of the bed during the night.

Hopefully his prescription will arrive today, I went y'day to buy the specific painkillers he takes, there is only one sort he will take, they can only be purchased from a pharmacy and he never thinks to stock up, or keep some in the first aid box. 

Since we've been here he hasn't wanted me to catch a bus as my bus pass hasn't arrived yet. But the amount of pain he was in changed his mind. The busses are every 15 minutes and the service seems to arrive on time.

Unfortunately there were 17 people in front of me in the queue at the pharmacy, so I had a long wait!

It was raining quite hard when I left the shop but I didn't have long to wait for the bus home. Today I'm going to the Aldi at the top of the road so no bus needed. I'd asked Steve if he wanted anything else before I left b'day but it wasn't until I returned home that he though of something he needed.