Energizer

When I first arrived, nearly two years ago, Hunk still had enough of his faculties to be eagerly testing any and all batteries he came across. Primarily his hearing aid batteries -- "modules" he called them.

As a retired electrical engineer, Hunk was closely familiar with electrical currents and such, and he owned a somewhat complicated (to me, anyway) device that would allow him to test things like ohms and voltages and current and whatnot. Many places to plug in wires, dials to be clicked around, gauges to be read. Even with the manual, I was struggling to understand what it was he was measuring, but, once he began to show confusion himself, we managed together to take readings and make comparisons, and decisions. "This battery didn't make that arrow move and that battery did, so that is the good battery! Yea."

He has all but forgotten about his charge-measuring capabilities. In fact, for a while he was replacing his hearing aid battery nearly every day, it seemed. Just because he could, I suppose. That was when I noticed that he really didn't remember how to operate the meter.

But soon enough he forgot about testing or replacing the batteries. (Something that probably saves the penny-pinching seniors a fair chunk of change.) But the development is bittersweet. Now, it's more likely for him to pick up a battery pack and somehow think that it is his dental plate...

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He also used to be obsessed with closing the windows on the porch. Not just at night. Any time there was the slightest chance of rain. Or wind. In the last two months he has forgotten about that obsession, for the most part. Occasionally Bitchy will tell me that Hunk wants the windows checked, but he doesn't focus on the task himself.

And I'm grateful for that, because they provide me with a little cross-ventilation in my tiny 10'x13' 'apartment.' I know it's their house, and I don't abuse it, but really... nothing on that porch would be damaged by a little moisture now and then, and people's comfort should come before furniture. Especially outdoor furniture!