Good neighbours. Be thankful for good neighbours I say.
Yesterday was unbearably hot here especially for those of us who are more or less housebound and 'knocking on a bit'. My wound on my shin was still leaking badly so I had my leg up on a stool and all day had to keep dabbing the wound gently with a tissue to avoid the liquid falling on the carpet. By tea time I was hot, frustrated and frankly 'ready for bed'. Hot weather and me do not go together.
By 5.30pm I had locked up, drawn the sitting room and kitchen blinds, made myself a cup of tea and retired to the bedroom. I undressed (right down to my birthday suit), piled up the pillows, propped up my bad leg with a pillow and the obligatory towel and climbed in with my book. The window was wide open and overlooking the garden there was no traffic noise and I settled down to a good read.
By ten o'clock I was restless, so I got up and wandered round, made myself a drink, took my final drugs for the day and prepared my bed for the night. Could I get to sleep? No.
I tossed and turned, each time having to readjust the leg-pillow and towel. Finally, in desperation I got up, wandered into the sitting room, switched on 231 and watched the World News. I kept dozing off and waking up. At 1am I went to bed, turning off the lights as I went. I decided it would be sensible to 'have a wee' before settling down, so (still in my birthday suit) I sat on the Commode (which rests by the side of my bed. Then, being too lazy to get up I reached for my book and sat there -beautifully cool. Suddenly I heard a noise. Looking up from my book, my son was standing in the doorway!! (he made no comment at all on my state of undress)
A neighbour and friend J had noticed as she turned her TV off that there were lights on all over my bungalow and wondered if I was alright. She wanted to ring my son and tell him (he only lives a mile away) but she didn't have his number, so in spite of the late hour - maybe 1am - she rang friends S and T to ask them for it. Then she rang my son and said she was worried about me. He got up and came round!
Isn't it good to have such supportive friends and neighbours? Now, in the daylight, it is all rather amusing but darkness always puts a different slant on things doesn' it?
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29 comments:
Why didn't she ring you first?
Rachel makes a very valid point!
If you have a key safe outside could you not give the code for that to your neighbour so that in an emergency they could at least open the front door and call out to you.
Rachel and Derek are being sensible of course. But that was a funny tale.
Oh, dear! I agree with the previous comments and hope the phone call comes first if there is a next time.
Do you have a fan in your bedroom to help keep you cooler on hot nights?
Hugs!
I agree with Rachel and Derek’s ideas. My aunt and her neighbor friend lived across the street from one another for 60 years. If one noticed the other’s drapes weren’t open during the day, they would check on them. One time neighbor called me worried that Aunt wasn’t answering the door and the drapes had been shut all day. My mother ran over and insistently pounded on the door and yelled my Aunt’s name until door opened. Aunt was painting in the basement and drapes were closed because it was a warm day. Thank goodness for caring neighbors.
You do have lovely and caring neighbors. Your son is also close by which must please you greatly. The high heat of summer can cause difficulty sleeping. A fan or heat pump (for supplemental heating and cooling) might be worth considering.
I'm just still feeling surprised that you spent so much time in your "birthday suit!" Don't you have air conditioning or a fan to help you stay cool?
Well you've given us a chuckle!
Oh Weave - there must be lots of hilarious commode stories out there. Your poor son - what a sight, but of course it could have been be worse - marginally - haha!
My mother when she was 90 was having an affair with a 90 year old man whose wife was in a nursing home. True.
I really didn't want to hear about when she first 'slept over' but she insisted on telling me,
and how he pointed to the commode at the side of the bed, and its idiosyncracies, should she need it during the night- 'most offputting' she said. If that's 'too much information' I agree, but why should I have to suffer alone!- Pam.
Oh, my goodness! What a horrible hot night you had. You do have lovely neighbours and they’ll be enjoying the story too! It is hard to sleep when it’s oppressively hot. If you’ve a fan, setting it up with a bowl of ice in front works well, according to a friend. After her success, I bought myself a tower fan with a water tank that you put frozen plastic tubes of ice into, and replaced as needed. It positively plummets the temperature. I’m sure the UK will sell them too.
I hope a bad night hasn’t left you flattened today.
I'm sorry you were so uncomfortable but love the birthday suit story.
I can manage a certain amount of heat but humidity wipes me out. I did get a slow walk down to the paper shop before it got really hot, but in spite of blinds closed and windows open I was nodding off at 11a.m! Now at 9.30p.m. I'm ready for bed and bracing myself of more of the same. I do hope it eases off a bit for Trooping the Colour on Saturday.
I also hope your leg heals up soon. It must be such a nuisance for you. Sleep well tonight.
Oh dear...and it wasn't even your birthday! I guess that a call would have been nice, but sometimes when someone is worried, that sort of thinking gets left at the wayside.
Attention seeking behaviour
Lol joke xxxx
By the way, shouldn't your wound be dressed by the nurse by now?
Another day, another advetnure.
That was a very challenging day. It's good to know that people are looking out for you.
All's well that ends well, I suppose. This hot weather throws everybody's life into confusion. Hope things cool down for you soon.
Good that they care..but rather a surprise!
And yes....have you had that wound seen yet?
Good, caring neighbours are worth their weight in gold. But indeed, it is strange that apparently nobody tried to contact you first. Maybe you can not hear the telephone when you take your hearing aids out for the night, and they know that?
I agree - your wound should be treated professionally.
I would think that suddenly "hearing a noise" and the door opening must have frightened the life out of you. In a house alone I know it would have nearly given me heart failure.
It was all well intended, no harm done and gave us a good laugh. I wonder if a fan might be a simpler, dare I say more dignified, way of keeping cool, we have one in Italy.. It doesn’t make the air any cooler but the movement helps.
What’s happened to you wound ?
I think everyone has given you everything you need to think about now in the cold light of day, so I will just agree with you on the goodness of neighbours.
Lol...yes, you definitely need a fan!!!
What a shock looking up and seeing your son in the doorway!
Get a fan.. get your son to get it...lolol
hugs
Donna
Such a good story. A work associate of mine once had her front door smashed open by burly policemen in the middle of the night. She was talking with a friend on the phone one evening and mid conversation she fell into a deep sleep. Her friend thought she was having a medical emergency because his shouts into the phone receiver wouldn't revive her. He ended up calling 911 which resulted in the policeman breaking down her door. She woke to find men in uniform surrounding her bed.
Rachel - I did not have my hearing aids in and he came in quietly in case it was all a false alarm and I was asleep.
John. District Nurse has put on a dressing - it is getting better rapidly and she is coming again tomorrow
Lifeline know they have to ring my mobile so I keep it by me..
I really have a very good emergency plan set up. My friendly neighbour dare not ring the bell - her reasoning was that if I was unconcious I wouldn't respond and if I was just awake I would be scared if the bell rang at that time.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Too funny. It is good to have such wonderful neighbors.
Aside from being an amusing tale, it must be reassuring to know your that neighbours are keeping an eye out for you. X
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