Bubblin' In A Pot!

Dad's worked hard all his life....from the time he could fix anything as a teenager to the day he just couldn't work anymore...at 88 years old. That's a long time to devote your life to working. Some of the time he did it for himself but most of the time he did it to make sure that his family had what they needed. He wasn't much on luxury but he made sure you had all the things you needed to survive and he expected you to earn the luxury part of what you wanted.
When it came to vacations and pleasures, Dad had few. His antique cars are the pleasures he had when he needed a break from work. That worked just fine for him until he couldn't drive them anymore....at 88 years old.
The last time he drove his Durant was with my daughter, Michelle and her kids in a parade in Logansport, Indiana. I told Michelle that she needed to go with him because we weren't sure he was capable of driving the car and being able to control it.
We could see that he was slowing down and not sure of himself behind the wheel.
Michelle said that he did just fine. That was good because that was the end of the driving.
Since Dad has moved to Oklahoma there have been few days for us to get the cars out of storage for Dad to take a ride. Rod works so much overtime...and the summer was so hot last year. We have been so busy running back and forth to Indiana this year that up until now there has been NO time to get them out of storage. Rod has gone to start them a few times just to make sure they are starting up. The summer this year is again brutal.
It's going to be 108 today with temps around 109 all this week.
Eventually this will pass I know and before the Fall gets away from us we have plans to get Dad out and about in the Durant.
He is anxiously awaiting that and it's hard on him to wait because that's all he can do. I tell him we won't forget but there's no point to getting it out in temperatures as hot as 100 and above. He agrees with that. I just hope that he stays as alert as he has been for months to be able to enjoy the rides.

So I have given a lot of thought to what Dad would enjoy doing in these last years.
Who knows how long he has? Who knows how long any of us have? I was concerned when I was diagnosed with cancer last year that I wasn't going to be able to be here to take care of him. My first thought was what was going to happen to Dad....so since that day I have thought for a long time what would he enjoy doing.

So I finally decided that since he loves to be warm...and his body aches all the time....the one thing that I am sure that he would enjoy would be a hot tub.
So I am working towards getting one for him. Might be another month or so.....but he doesn't know it yet.
His Doctor agrees that with his aches and pains complaints that THIS might be the thing that he will enjoy with us. Dad used to enjoy swimming as a kid....when we would go swimming with friends when I was little he loved the water then too. He always got in our pool when he and Mom would come visit. Mom even enjoyed that and our trips to the Y to get in the hot tub.
I am concerned on how to get it fixed that he can easily get into it but I think we can figure that out.
I want to put it conveniently outside his room's door so he doesn't have far to walk....he will be accessible to him even if he eventually goes to the wheelchair.
Just too bad I can't get him a gal friend to enjoy it with....LOL I have tried...but he says he is a one woman man still and he still favors his gal friend in Indiana. Too bad she can't join him in his hot tub. At least he will have the Great Grandkids to share it with.

Shhhhh, don't tell him. I want him to be surprised. Those will be great photos to share of him relaxing in the bubbly heat of the water. Keep watching the blog!

Heh, what was that you said??

Dad was up and finished breakfast and ready to head out to the Senior Center. I had him call my sister....then I saw that he was still awake so I asked him if he wanted to call Louise, his gal friend in Indiana.

I dialed the number, said hello and told Louise Dad was wanting to talk to her....she is having a hard time hearing. I hand the phone to Dad and his hand was shaking with the Parkinson's. He starts his conversation with Louise....

Odus: I am having a hard time holding the phone, my hand keeps shaking and I can't get a good hold of it. If I was there with you I sure could get a hold of you though!

Dad waits to get a response....he pulls the phone away from his head and tells me....Oh she didn't hear me....she can't hear anything anymore with those hearing aids.

LOL...what's an old man to do when he can't even flirt on the phone anymore?

Time for Bed...

Rod and I just got Dad ready for bed. He had been in the living room sleeping of course. So he gets the usual done, pot, teeth out, face washed, then sets on the bed.
I stood there waiting for him to lay down be he just sets there. So I walked away and went to my bedroom to finish up some laundry and I come back to him and he is STILL sitting up.
Wendy: Don't let it bother you that I am standing here on my tired legs waiting for you to get in bed so I can cover you up.
Dad: Dad don't it bother you that I am sitting here freezing to death waiting for you to COME and cover me up!

And so it goes.

Lost in the translation...

Another informative conversation between Wendy and Odie.

According to Dad we have 8 mice in house, mostly in his bedroom...at night...in the dark.
So his solution is for me to come in at night, wait for the mice to appear and catch them at night...in the dark.
Yeah.
Apparently last night he caught a little one, and squashed him. So I asked him where was the mouse now. He didn't know.
That might be cause he was invisible.
So you squashed him and didn't get goo on your hand? nope.
Again, that might be because he was invisible.
So I said I would call the invisible exterminator.

He gave me a dirty look.