We have lived in America for ten and a half years now, almost eleven. When we got here we moved into the guest bedroom at my grandmother’s house in Nevada, and took up caring for her and her husband straight away. It took us a long time to get on our feet because we put so much into looking after her and her husband. Hell, we were expected to pay all the household bills on a $1,200 a month income while raising four kids on it. Meanwhile they had more money, and lived high. One of the last symbols of the inequality is going out the door today.
We went out and got a new mattress and box spring. Today I tossed out the old set that had come from grandma’s guest bedroom in her house in Nevada, which she had bought cheap from a motel that closed down in the town there. I cannot believe we spent a decade sleeping on that ratty old piece of shit. But we got used to it, and never had spare money to get a replacement for it. So sleep on it we did. We finally seem to feel like we are no longer reassembling our lives from the move across the sea, and from the time spent in devotion to the care of my grandparents, that is one remnant of that period that I am so glad to see in the back of the truck ready to go to the dump tomorrow.
We checked Sam’s Club first, but they did not have what Missus needed in a sleeping slab, so we went into The Mattress Firm, and the guy there lead us to one. Missus followed his instructions to lay on it, and she said for me to come try it, but I said no. When she asked why, I said, “Because I can see the price.” Lead right to the $3,000 mattress? Forget it. When we explained what we wanted, he pointed us to ‘the value section,’ and we picked out a mattress and box spring that cost less than $500 with a mattress protector. Yeah, it is not the luxury line, but having money left in the bank is fairly luxurious, too. And at that price, we were left wondering why we did not sort this out sooner!
By the time we got the old bed out and the new one in, I was fairly tired, and fell asleep in the chair in the library for a couple of minutes, then decided to lay up on the new bed, on the new sheets and pillows we got to go with it, and though I did not fall back asleep, I feel a hell of a lot better! So, here is hoping for a good night’s sleep tonight!
Oh yes, the new set is higher than the already high up old set, so elevation sickness and fear of falling off are almost a thing. Missus used a stool to get up on it to try it out after setting the thing up. It’s kind of a laugh, but then, I like being higher up in the room when I sleep. I cannot even imagine sleeping on one of those low to the floor units.
I wonder if some of the pain in my hips is from the rat? I think I will be finding out tomorrow morning! I look forward to finding out! I look forward to sleeping somewhere that feels fresh, new, and clean! That’s not something I have experienced in maybe thirty years.