Garbage in garbage out

One of the things I dealt with mom on Friday was her dang garbage can, LOL. It's in her kitchen in front of her microwave cart. When I got there the sink was filled with dirty silverware. Nothing left of silverware in her drawer silverware tray. While she was in the bathroom one time I just started washing them all and setting on her drain mat. She is having trouble now throwing away all the styrofoam cups and little plastic cups the desserts come in, when meals are brought to their apt's. I tossed out probably a dozen cups. A few were stacked together, but most were just all along the back of her counter and next to her sink. She also had a can of soup that had a pull top type opening that she had pulled back the top and that opened the can up a bit on top. Who knows how long that's been sitting like that. I told her I was throwing it away. She also (for months now) has set out her K-cups she had left, about 5 or so on the counter. She hasn't made a cup of coffee in probably 18 months (she gets it from downstairs, hence all the cups). Her little mini keurig is down underneath her sink. One of the kcups was punctured. I found another one wrapped in a paper towel. I just tossed them all, too. Just trying to get every thing cleaned up and not so messy. 

A little while later I come out of the bathroom into the kitchen and she has pulled the soup can out of the garbage can. I had even buried it below some styrofoam cups! She was all worried it was going to leak. I said, there's a liner in the can, it's no big deal, plus I set the can upright. I said it will be fine and your garbage will get emptied soon. 

After we got back from lunch she took them out again! And had set a few of the kcups back on the counter. And the dang soup can. She wanted to open it and pour it out. I said there's noodles and stuff in it - it's better just to leave it in the can with the lid that is still 90% on it. I got her to throw it away again, but I'll bet you a dollar she has taken it out again. I really should have just taken one of the empty Walgreens sacks and put in there and taken with me. I'm also pretty sure she has done that with notes and junk mail I throw in her desk garbage can. I'll come back the next time and think to myself I swear I threw this or that note out. Lately I've just been putting notes and junk mail to throw out in my purse and doing it when I get home. Luckily she gets very little mail now, so there isn't much to deal with.

One good thing I saw on the camera is she went to the phone to call me yesterday morning (she called to ask "did  you say you are coming to see me today?" No...I came yesterday...) I could see she just knew to push the button on the phone with my name on it. So that was good to see. I wasn't sure if she was using it or not.

It has also been helpful the past 2 evenings when I called her at 6 to take her meds. I can watch from the camera what she is doing and kind of helps to guide her along, since I can see. Like I told her to push the button but it wasn't dispensing and from the camera view I could see the light flashing that the cup wasn't set right. Got her to reset the cup underneath and then it dispensed. Then I could see she took the pills but apparently left the cup on her counter as the dispenser light was flashing so I said "did you put the cup back underneath?" (knowing she didn't) and then she went and got the cup and put in under.  So, the viewing is helpful for that.

It was nice to be able to go in on Friday and still have my weekend free. I still miss our old work perk of having a half day every other Friday. I spent half of yesterday cleaning. A couple loads of laundry, changed bed sheets, dusted and vacuumed downstairs. DH washed the car.

I plan to do my next visit to her next Sunday. Her birthday (82) is the following Monday, but I don't want to take another day off work so soon and Sunday will be fine. I haven't decided if I'll take her out to lunch again (that seemed pretty tiring to her) or maybe I'll just bring a lunch and also make some cupcakes to take and leave with her. I'm sure she'd like to have those to eat. DD is just having flowers sent to her again. 

Today I plan to make some chocolate chip cookies. DH has been wanting some and since Walmart was out of (again) the hostess cupcakes he likes to have with his lunch, he said some cookies sounded good. I need to keep myself from eating them! That will be hard. I'm only down 2 pounds in my diet, so I don't need to be eating those.