lather, rinse, repeat

She can't remember anything today. It's really bad. It might have something to do with Jon being gone after all the excitement of Monday and Tuesday. A seemingly endless loop of free association of snippets of memory and learned phrases. Jon will be back from Boulder within the hour, thank god. I can't even explain how these conversations go. She just never stops talking and anything and everything comes out of her mouth. The questions - constant questions with responses to them I've heard hundreds of times.

Are you married? Yes, I'm married to Jon. You are!? I didn't know that! Why didn't anyone tell me? You knew. You just forgot. How long have you been married? 34 years. 34 years!! I can't believe it!! I wasn't invited to the wedding? Yes. Of course you were invited. You didn't come because you didn't want to fly? Well where was I? You lived in Coos Bay and the wedding was in St. Louis. Why isn't that man here? You mean Jon? He's on a business trip and will be back this afternoon. He's been gone since yesterday morning. Oh! He's getting out of the army? No. Jon was never in the army. But you said he called from overseas and he said he was coming home. He called from the Denver airport and said he was getting on a plane. He's driving from Denver?! Well that will take a long time. No. he's taking a plane from Denver. He should get in about 4:30. Will you have to go get him from the airport? No. He left his car at the airport. (Realizing she wouldn't understand this concept I proceeded to explain the whole process of parking and flying). He got out of the army and didn't even call me? I think you're thinking about you ex-husband, Ed. He was in the army and was overseas a long time ago. Ed? Oh yes. Was I married to him? Yes, he was Jon's father. I better get my clothes packed so I'll be ready when they get here. It's just Jon that's coming and he's coming HOME. He's not taking you anywhere. But I thought he was coming to take me home. I need to take my stuff with me. Where are all the other people? Jon, you and I are the only ones who live here. I thought there was another couple who sleep upstairs. That's Jon and me. I must be all mixed up. When will they get here? It's been a long time. Jon should be here anytime now. I'm so excited to see him. He's been overseas. Are you married?...

Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat. Five or ten times.

For the 5th time in an hour, she has climbed the steps up to our bedroom saying she needs to go get her stuff. She's thinking of another house from her past, I'm sure, where she slept in a bedroom in an upstairs. This time I can hear her going through my dresser drawers looking for her stuff. If that what it takes to convince her that her bedroom is downstairs - well so be it. She came down and said, "I don't have any stuff up there any more. When I first came here, I had that room."

"I guess so." Shit... whatever.