The Indian Level Two Tech guy for Earthlink got me online yesterday but the connection is shaky. He opined my 2002 modem is "old". When I feel like waiting for customer support for hours I should request a new one. Apparently you can dicker with them until they are willing to ship one to you free. Or they can disconnect and you are sent back to the beginning. Earthlink is not my friend.

Snow is deep on the ground and temperature in the single digits. The personal care ladies are supposed to come on Monday and Thursday to scrub me down and get me tidy. They have a variety of reasons not to arrive on schedule. 1] Car transmission failed 2] Doctor is going to call to schedule their gallbladder/hernia surgery 3] Last appointment is on the other side of town 4] Confusion on actual time of arrival previously determined

Yesterday the lady called twice to work out a time. I ate early so I could run the dishwasher and she could empty it before my scrub. But she arrived while it was in the middle of things and I had to stop it so it didn't use up the hot water for the shower. After the shower I could have had her run the washer but I didn't feel like putting the washed load in the dryer. As it happened she sat comfortably at my kitchen table while her sister shopped in the neighborhood and got lost coming to pick her up.

The Occupational Therapy Lady comes twice a week. She has been helpful in showing me how to use the sock putter-on-er and getting rid of 30 pair of socks that are too tight for the device. She has worked with me on using the button hook. She made a suggestion for writing more legibly. She took an oversized typing aide with her to heat and fit to my small left hand for the computer.

She lives five minutes from here so schedules me for early or late arrivals. When she stops coming all services stop. The lady nurse came twice and initially said I should be in a nursing home. "You just sell your house and use the money to pay for the Home!" "Why can't I pay people to come here?" Annoyed glare.

The Day of the Big Snow a different nurse who was a guy called and addressed me fondly. "Howya doin' sweetheart? Ya feelin' okay? Do you think you need a nurse?" I've never needed a nurse especially one who calls me sweetheart. But maybe he was calling from a snowdrift somewhere and needed to hear a mother's voice.

If Earthlink and Home Care keep providing services to me a nursing home might start looking good. But I will have to brush up on Senile Dementia. No one with half a mind could endure such well intentioned help.