Middle of the Night...

It's 3:30 am and I'm at work. Don't expect anything profound in the following bit. I'm just going to ramble for a while to kill some time.

My job is to sit with old people and help them with various tasks. Sometimes it's just companionship, sometimes it's cooking meals and doing light housework, sometimes it's changing diapers and assisting with hygiene.

Tonight's client is one of the more hands-on clients. Incontinence, breathing disorder that could result in suffocation while sleeping, and stage two Alzheimer's. Yeah, it's a fun one.

He's a great guy. Retired Air Force colonel with a 30 year military career under his belt. He still possesses a great deal of his former strength. When I help him to the bathroom, I have to position my hands carefully in his or he grinds my wedding ring into the neighboring fingers.

Anyone who gives that much of his life in the service of his country deserves the best care I'm capable of giving. I'd like to think that's exactly what I do.

In spite of that, I become extremely irritated with the whole case. There's some intangible aspect to the case that just grates on my nerves. There is no justification for this. For the most part, I'm free to sit here and play video games while he sleeps. I'm an avid World of Warcraft player and this case has allowed me to really grind out some levels on my various characters in the game.

Maybe it's the way he picks at his face, or his unerring ability to wake up when I'm in the middle of a fight. Meh...doesn't matter. I'll continue to give him good care. It's what I do.

Tonight my internet connection is less than ideal for gaming, so I'm reading blogs and news articles. I was watching some videos from Penn Jilette (of Penn & Teller fame) on YouTube. He's entertaining and not afraid to express his opinions on even the most controversial subjects. I don't always agree with him, but I respect his willingness to voice them. Go ahead and check some of them out. I'll wait...

Done? Good. I hope you enjoyed them, or, at the very least, they gave you some food for thought.

Earlier I went out for a smoke. Yeah, I smoke. I took a book with me. The first in the Black Company series by Glenn Cook. I strongly recommend them. This will be my fourth time through the series.

I was crouched down, sitting on my heels. Smoke in one hand, paperback in the other. I noticed some movement in front of me at the base of a tree planter. A black widow had built a web there and was busy feasting on a beetle. Further investigation revealed two more webs within inches of the front door, each containing another black widow. Each of them also feasting on bugs attracted by the porch light. I left them to their feasts. Their presence concerns me considering that they are just outside the front door of the home of an old couple. One bite and they are goners.

In spite of this, I just couldn't bring myself to kill them. They are beautiful creatures. They aren't that aggressive, usually only biting when molested in some way. I've always had a special place in my heart for black widows. I'll tell the lady of the house about them in the morning and let her spray them.

Time for another smoke. Hopefully my next entry will come sooner and will contain something of substance.