Vacation over....

It was more of a vacation for Dad than it was for the rest of us....I am so glad it's over and we are home again. I was limited in the work that I could do around the house but I was able to pack, repack and sort stuff for moving.
Dad is glad to have his cars here with us so he can be sure nothing is happening to them as he has dreamed of happening.
Now we just get the space ready for the rest of his stuff coming and we are all set. I think he will like having the items he made around him at last. He has his own stuff here but not the main things he owns.
He seemed to have a great visit with his friends, especially his gal friend. That seemed to be the most important concern. Imagine that? LOL Like the times he asked me when was she coming again and how can he get ahold of her to find out when she is coming.She was there every day but for one or two so that made him happy. He missed out on seeing his cousin because he doesn't drive much anymore and there was not much of a chance of his taking Dad to see him. We were busy most hours of the day until dark except for visiting Rod's family in Michigan City. Rod rarely gets to spend more than a day or two when we go back to Indiana. We are usually cleaning, organizing and setting up or fixing something at Dad's. That finally has come to an end. At least for us.....NOLA has some work to do but she can handle that, she says. I am glad of it because I cannot.
The next time I pack a suitcase, as I said on Facebook, will be when I am taking a REAL vacation. We haven't been on one of those together since 2000, or right around there. We both need one too. Rod and I haven't been on a vacation just by ourselves since, uhhhhhhhhhh, gosh, I think that was in 1979!!! OMG, it's worse than I thought!! lol
We take Dad with us everywhere we go....even our last vacation to Wisconsin. That's okay but Dad doesn't much like to travel and see things. He has always been an armchair traveler. I have tried to talk him into a cruise but he has no interest in it. I think if he got on one and saw the world from top deck he MIGHT change his mind.

Dad wishes he could stay in his home and town he knows best....of course, who wouldn't? It's just not possible unless he was in a nursing home and then we all know what happens then. Few visit and he becomes lonely and wastes away. That will NOT ever happen as long as Rod and I can take care of him.
I think it's mostly being able to see his girlfriend....that's really it. So much of the time Dad is not sure where he is anyway....but it's the kissin' he misses. LOL
He couldn't wait to pucker up when she first walked into the living room to see him. I only wish I had my camera going then.

Dad is back at the Senior Center, or the torture chamber as he calls it. He thinks they have cliques there and that they are all related....etc. Which is not true. I have asked just to see if he was correct.

Most of Dad's problems during the day are related to not sleeping well at night. So during the day he drags and dreams and imagines all sorts of things. So while Debbie was here helping me with Dad the idea of giving him Tylenol PM came up. I had not tried it before although it works for me....and then we tried it on Dad....several nights in a row and SURPRISINGLY to ME....it works. It's been about 3 weeks now and it's still working and he is only getting up once, if that, a night. Amazing difference in his daytime napping habits. He rarely has been napping at all but for when he comes home from the center and takes a cat nap.

If I had only known that a year or so ago, that would have helped a lot. I was just told that medicine like Benydryl and night time sleeping meds on the elderly had the opposite effect. Well, on Dad, that's not true for the Tylenol PM. There is peace once again at night here. Dad is so much more rested....it's easy to see.

He was awake almost the whole time we were at his house during the day. Little dementia too. I think the dementia is worse when he doesn't get good rest too. So all in all, it's a win win situation so far.