Oh what a week! Welcome back to My Early Retirement Journey! And in case you missed it, this is what happened last week.
Monday - Finally got my new phone ($9). Had it delivered to work. That's not really allowed, but the first time I tried to order a phone from Simple Mobile (no affiliate), they shipped via FedEx. FedEx tried three times to deliver it during the workday at my home. I obviously wasn't there and their shipping guidance did not allow anyone else to sign for it. This time, given the previous history I had it shipped to my work. Womp, womp. It was delivered to the mailbox at work on a Saturday. I was home!! After a year without regular cell phone service, why now? Well the short answer has to do with the declining health of my aunt. I felt it would be best to have a reliable way to be contacted and to have a phone I could use to work from home, if needed. I have a post coming up on why I went without a cell phone for a year. Stay tuned. This was even pre-My Early Retirement Journey. I think FIRE has been in my blood all along, just unrealized.
Tuesday - Worked 8 hours. Hectic trying to deal with my aunt. I have bought the same airline ticket twice now. Each time the price keeps going up, naturally. In the moments where she is lucid I defer to her guidance. But this is a mistake. It's been a rocky transition in my role as surrogate caregiver via telephone. Not one I particularly desire to be perfectly honest. I've clung to my claim to fame as the only person I know who has no baby, pet, husband (partner), or house. As far as typical responsibilities, I'm duty free. It's an identity I'm getting to know and to date, getting to like.
Wednesday - Worked 8 hours. Got gas during my break. Had a delicious nacho chips with beans and salsa lunch at work. Tortilla chips taste so much better at work. I don't know why. Decided to do nothing that pertained to adult responsibility. This lasted until around 8p and then I washed some dishes...by hand. Summer tends to lend itself to that. All that darn daylight inspires a more productive me. Plotting my social media debut with my blog...maybe this summer...maybe sooner.
Thursday - Worked 8 hours. Woo hoo! First week with no side hustle! Suddenly, my aunt called me twice to ask me to drive her back to NC from FL. It was originally an idea I was thinking about - me flying down and driving her back so she could have her car for little errands. The more I thought about it though, why did she need a car? She can't seem to find places in her immediate surroundings, how then in a new environment. Tonight's personality was her abrasive self.
Ran errands at the big Walmart, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods, spent at least $60 ($10 over weekly budget) trying to find food for my aunt's visit. She said to wait until she comes, but I know given her history she will complain if there's no food. And I don't want to hear it. I armed myself preemptively.
Friday - So, after much debate and $300 dollars later, I'm flying to Tampa to collect my aunt who either has dementia or a raging UTI. We are hoping for the latter. Well at least I am. She still says she's not sick and there's nothing wrong with her so she didn't need to go to urgent care. The hardest part of elder care for me has been deferring to their judgement by default and then remembering later that they're sick and it's really up to me. This is why a flight that originally started out as $45 has now come down to $300. This is something my family who is now being looped in still has not reconciled as they are still passing on her wishes to me. And I'm like NO! She doesn't know what she's talking about. She still thinks she's the person she was. All I want to scream is HELP ME! But I say nothing. Who will listen? What can they do? I don't have a baby precisely because I never desired to care for nor nurture anyone. Now an actual adult person might be relying on me. 😓
At work, tried to go out for lunch. It was too busy. Ended up with chips and a banana. One bite of banana was distasteful and chips weren't any better. Two hours later I ended up with Hunan Shrimp just before the lunch special was over.
Set up Roku this morning. Glad I followed my own good judgement and ordered this contraption. I had looked into Sling last year (2017) after or during my summer seasonal hold for cable. I didn't want to use my debit card to try it out so I think I put it on the back burner. With my aunt coming to town, I figured she would need something to do during the day. She initially said she'd be fine without cable. Ha, my logical brain said. I listened and I'm glad I did. I was able to set it up this morning and after the recent turn of events it was a good purchase - $40 for 2 months pre-paid Sling and I got a free Roku Express, no affiliate.
TV this week: Survivor (it's getting so good!), Rules of Engagement, Bull
Takeout: PF Chang's via Foodsby (a new food delivery service; meal ended up being free because our order was late!), Chinese by work, Spicy Chicken and rolls from neighborhood grocer
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I am impressed you held out until now to get a phone. I thought I was hardcore not getting the internet, apps or anything else until 18 months ago.
ReplyDeleteHope your Aunt visit goes ok and she settles down, hoping it's maybe a UTI.
Haha. It's easy when "you ain't got no friends." What was you reason for holding out on technology? Aunt is the same. No UTI.
ReplyDelete