28.6.11

The New Apartment Dweller

My baby has finally flown the coop, a major fete for him. We moved him into his own apartment on Sunday.  He is completely ecstatic. Now all he needs is to start working. He is going to work for a man that has jobs  all over town,mostly janitorial, which David has done before. He has contracts with the hospital, the Court, the library and also has contracts for cleaning apartments when people move out. He pays minimum wage, which most companies who hire the mentally disabled don't do. They do get a break from the government, at least that is how it worked when we  lived in California.
So David moved out on Sunday, then he invited us over for dinner on Monday night, he cooked us hamburgers and veggies. ( OK, so I did the veggies) it was tasty. This morning he got fancy and made himself home fried potatoes with bell peppers, onions and eggs with Italian seasoning. That was really good! He can cook a few things  and he will learn others as he goes along. Today I taught him how to make hard boiled eggs because he wanted them to put in tuna salad.
He had been on a list to move into a made over old hotel that has studio apartments that was about 2 miles from us, we all liked that idea because it is a secure building. Unfortunately, there is a very long waiting list so we looked around and found him a one bedroom ( better than anything I ever had starting out) The rent is affordable for him and he got cable t.v. hooked up yesterday, which was why we were there, so we could write the check.  last night I got a collect call from him because he said his cell phone wouldn't work, he kept saying it wouldn't charge. I had to take his dad to the oral surgeon this morning ,and David had an appointment with his state worker this afternoon so I parked at the dentist , left hunnyboy meting in the chair , he said the drug he took before he went in was about the equivalent of 4-5 scotches. Then I walked the block to the apartment and took looked at his phone, the screen was on but it said emergency calls only. What had happened was that he got a screen freeze and took the battery out and put it back in, but the sim card fell out and he put it back in backwards so the phone thought there wasn't one and so it would only allow  911 calls.He is also excited about getting a job soon... he hasn't worked since we moved and that has been 6 1/2 years ago. That is our fault because we live out of town and there is no bus service out here, but now if I have to, I will take him to work and pick him up, just so he can do it. The state is giving him $150.00 a month in cab fees, so he will have that option and he will be getting 20 hours a month of one on one  service thru another agency...they will take him shopping or to appointments if we arn not available, or just out for the day for a hike, go to the mall, etc.There is also limited in town bus lines which are cheap enough, and he used to ride the bus all over Southern Calif. so I know that is doable. Since he can't afford internet service and because he is afraid someone will break in and steal his laptop he has decided to leave it here with us and use it when he comes over. Since he is within walking distance of the library I will take him there and show him how to use their computers. That's all for now. I am sure exciting days are ahead, and I hope , rewarding for him.