Friday, August 24, 1984

The phone woke me this morning. I have been hired to take care of the eighty-nine year old woman, Ruth, starting tonight at 7PM. I packed clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, comb and brush, night clothes and houseslippers, pencils and paper, coffee, already prepared spaghetti, yogurt, pepperoni, cheese, cantalope and a picture of Love and me.

I found a paycheck stub in a stack of papers on my desk, that I'll need at the unemployment office next week. I talked to the homeowners insurance agent, who has the policy on Mom's house, and found out that if the leak was caused by the water pipes freezing and thawing, the insurance would pay $95.00 of the $195.00 bill. Mom's insurance agent will get in touch with the contractor that did the work to find out what caused the leak.

Steve didn't come home all night. When he did come home this morning. I asked him for the rent money, and he said he didn't have it. I knew that he had gotten a $40.00 net paycheck yesterday. I told him that I must have the rent money or he must move. He didn't know that I got a job and I didn't tell him. Greg went to the movies and I told Steve I was going to spend the night at a friend's house. Steve was still trying to find a ride to his sister's house with his clothes when I left to go to work. He was also trying to get in touch with his brother, to have him bring a lawn-mower he'd borrowed from Greg. I think he paid for a hooker instead of paying me the rent.

Ruth is somewhat alert and sometimes tries to help herself. She ate part of the cantaloupe I had picked from the garden before she went to bed. She went to sleep about 9PM.