(no subject)

Yesterday, Scott and I got rid of all the old clothes while Cordelia was at her birthday party. It didn't take long. We forgot one bag containing a set of sheets we don't want anymore, and we couldn't find Cordelia's old boots. While we were out, we also went to the library and picked up bubble tea (we had to guess at what Cordelia wanted because we'd forgotten to ask).

I got the rest of the laundry done before Cordelia came home. I'd been a bit afraid that I wouldn't. I washed most of the clothes on Saturday. There was just one load to wash and another that needed drying. Getting done wouldn't have been in question, but Scott took forever to get around to showering. I can't run the washing machine until after he's done, or he won't get any hot water.

Scott's considering giving up making pancakes. He does that once a week, usually on Sunday (Saturday if he's working Sunday). There doesn't seem to be much point in making them now. Cordelia will eat one, maybe, and I do the same. I used to save pancakes and have one for breakfast every day, but I'm mostly not eating breakfast any more (I'm not hungry, and I'm not taking the Geodon (must be taken with food) until lunch). Scott enjoys a plate of pancakes with syrup, though, so I don't think he'll give up on pancakes altogether. He may just start making a smaller batch.

After Cordelia got back from the party, we packed up and went to Scott's parents' place for Scott's sister's birthday celebration. We had to stop along the way because, as it turned out, we had no card sized envelopes. Scott made a nice card for his sister. We just had nothing in which to put it. The only way Scott could get a card sized envelope was to buy a card. The birthday card proved too big for the envelope, so Scott had to go back in and buy scissors.

Dinner was pleasant. Scott's mother was surprised. She made chicken in a tomato sauce (I forget the exact name of the dish) to serve over pasta. For me, Scott and Cordelia, she prepared a small amount of chicken in broth. As it turned out, our niece and nephew also wanted to avoid the tomato sauce. The sauceless chicken barely went around, and there was a lot of the other chicken left.

Scott got his sister, her husband and her daughter to play Sentinels of the Multiverse. He wanted our nephew to play because he was thinking of giving him a copy of the game for Christmas, but our nephew was more interested in watching TV than in any game. I think those who did play had fun. Scott deliberately picked an easy villain, and the environment was mostly straightforward, too.

The adults playing the game tried to get Cordelia to go downstairs to try to persuade her cousin to come and play, but she refused. She told me she was too scared. That really concerns me. It makes me wonder what our nephew might have done. It might be nothing, but it might not. She doesn't spend much time with him (I can't remember when she's ever been alone with him). He's completely uninterested in the 'little kids.' At his house, he's generally plugged in to the XBox and ignores everything else. At Scott's parents' house, he's either playing a game with Scott or downstairs watching TV. He eats his meals as fast as possible and leaves the table as soon as he's allowed to.

(no subject)

Cordelia and I survived her first appointment with the psychotherapist. I picked Cordelia up at noon and handed her a bag lunch (lunch for fifth graders starts at 12:12, so she was missing it). She ate that while we waited for the cab. It took about fifteen minutes for the cab to come and another fifteen minutes for the cab to get us where we were going.

Things have changed with the cab company in the couple of years since I used them last. They now charge by the mile rather than by the duration of the ride. The person I spoke with when I called was able to tell me, up front, how much the ride would cost.

The cabby we got was new to the area, so he was relying heavily on his GPS to tell him how to get there. He took Main to Stadium and then followed Stadium around. It might have been faster to take 14 to Maple to Stadium, but that's more complicated, and I suspect the cabbies are supposed to stay off the highway.

The credit card reader in the cab wasn't working, so there were some additional hoops to jump through in order to pay for the ride. We arrived with half an hour to spare, so taking an extra five minutes with the cab was acceptable. The ride cost $14.25 plus tip.

We found the office without any trouble. Cordelia was glad to find a drinking fountain in the waiting room (I'd forgotten to pack any beverages with her lunch). The therapist came out right on time and took both of us back. After a little while, we sent Cordelia out to the waiting room (with her book), so that the therapist and I could talk. Then Cordelia and I switched places, and she talked to the therapist privately.

This therapist apparently only uses CBT to some extent. I was hoping for a strong focus on CBT. Still, she takes our insurance. Nobody else does.

Scott came home halfway through the day because he was having fairly major digestive problems. He wasn't up to taking us to the appointment, but he felt well enough to come pick us up. Cordelia was glad to get back to school.

Next week, the appointment is at 4:05. After that, for the foreseeable future, the appointments will be Mondays at 1:00. The therapist said that she might need, eventually, to switch to Thursdays at 1:00. I'm hoping that doesn't happen soon. Thursdays are busy enough as it is.