Testing the Waters....

Sometimes Dad shows his stubborn side. Most of the time he is easy to deal with but on occasion he can really act like a 2 year old...AND laugh about it.
One night at dinner he sat down and I had his meds ready. I put them in applesauce so he swallows them easy but he needs to take them right away or they melt and taste nasty.
I put the food on his plate and set the plate near him but the applesauce with pills was right in front of him. I turned to see him starting to eat his food which was at least 10 inches away from him. I told him to eat his applesauce cause it had pills in it and they will melt if he waits. He ignored me and kept eating the food and spilling 3/4 of it while dragging it across the table. I tell him again to eat the applesauce with pills. Rod and I are both looking at each other just wondering how bad his hearing is that he can't hear twice what I just said. Finally I shouted DAD.....and he turns to me, but not looking directly at me. I said it loud again....I put your pills in your applesauce so you can eat them first before they melt. He turns toward me.....looks at me and says, "I heard you the first time." So I said, "Well if you heard me the first time, why can't you acknowledge me so I don't have to spend time repeating myself ?" His answer you may wonder??
"I was too busy eating the food on my plate!"

{Where do I sign up for being driven crazy by your Father class?}



The Freudian Slip

I had to speak to the nurse at the day care center last week about some issues we were having with Dad. While there she told me that Dad does hallucinate there at the center. Sometimes his mind tells him he is in another place, town or that there are people there that aren't really there. The gals there try to tell him the truth but he doesn't believe them.

So in our conversation, the nurse told me that in one incident with Odie....he talked about me and mention me as Isabelle. (that was my Mom's name) The nurse believes that Dad identifies me with my Mom. Oh I agreed with her. He has called me that. I think that is why there is some conflict between Dad and I too. When he wants to make a point he will INSIST that he is right. I give in to some things and just agree with him. Sometimes that bites me in the butt because then he will accuse me of placating him. ha ha ha Can't win for losing ya know. So I usually just play along and argue right back. It's just what he is used to cause he and Mom argued a great deal of the time. Dad just don't give in....but he found his match in me. Oh I can argue till the cows come home.

I will also tell him I am not his wife or Mother....so he needs to do some things on his own. Otherwise he vegges out in a  chair and does nothing.

My Mother would have gotten a kick out of Dad's behavior and the way I handle it....she would have laughed for sure. It would have done her soul good to see that Dad is not getting the last word. I'd like to think that she is watching. He calls me the Boss. ha ha I ask him if I am the boss then why aren't you doing what I tell you to do. He has no answer for that.

Dad Cooking in The Pot, UPDATE

My Dad could do just about anything and being girls, I think my sister and I learned to be competitive from watching Dad....we were always trying to do as good as he...still do I think.

He always had a better way.....which kept us on our toes I must say....but today I fixed his hash, as he used to say.

 He complains and finds something wrong all the time....I just snap back at him most of the time.....but today he had only good things to say which I didn't expect.

I thought he would for sure find some fault. I got him in his swim trunks and took off his shirt....he never asked a question which was odd. I told him I had a surprise for him.

I walked him out to the back patio and showed him the spa....not a word came out...... he climb into the spa with help from Rod and me.

He was a little scared but we got him in.

This was a huge surprise for him...he didn't know it went in yesterday....and what did Dad finally say?

Big grin....and "AHHHHHHH".

I asked if he liked it and he said oh yeah.

One hour later, I went out back and I said....

Do you want to get out?  Dad's reply...."NO" I will stay in a little longer.

We have it at a comfortable temp so he can stay in longer.

I can see him through the window in the kitchen and he is asleep....Rod is out there with him.

FINALLY only took 60 years to find something that Dad didn't find fault with....or some way to improve it.

Well, the day "ain't" over yet! LOL

I'd Give Anything......

Dad was getting ready for bed the other night.
He got into bed and I was adjusting his legs on the pillows and covering him up. As usual he was doing his normal arguing about what was in the room and what wasn't.....I told him that Mom was right, he would argue about the color of the sky.
He looked at me and laughed a little and said, "I would give anything to argue with your Mother right now."
I got a lump in my throat and laughed out of nervousness because I didn't want to cry....and said, "Yep, and Mom would probably give anything to listen to you argue right about now, too."

Mom and Dad fought, that's no secret. They fought over the dumbest things I thought.....the animals, how to deal with kids and Grandkids, when dinner was going to be ready, how much money to spend....etc.

However, I think that even though they could drive each other crazy, they did love each other.
They went through a lot together.....a LOT. I think on occasion how hard is must have been to lose a child to a drowning when he was almost 3. Mom and Dad were both just 23 years old themselves.
I know what they both said that got them through that.....their faith in God and their belief in Jesus Christ. The fact that Gilbert was going to be with the Angels and he would be okay.
Mom talked of him often. I know all the stories. Dad never did talk too much about him. I know for sure why he didn't. I speculated with Mom and told her my theory as to why he didn't get emotional.
The hurt is still so deep that now that Dad is older and more emotional, the mere mention of his name and Dad tears up. I think he had to be strong for Mom. Mom would tell me that she didn't like him not talking to her about Gilbert. She wanted Dad to cry with her when she was feeling bad. Dad was afraid to look like a sissy. It's that generation. It's what was drilled into them very young.....don't cry, be brave, be a man.

When in fact, being a man is being sensitive....a quality many men don't have. I am glad that I raised my boys to BE sensitive. Both of them have compassion. My youngest even today can talk about something that is sad and not afraid to cry in front of me or anyone. I am sure his wife will always appreciate that.
Having a heart is not sissy.

I patted Dad, kissed his forehead and told him all was okay, not to worry....Mom is having a chuckle over him saying he wanted to argue! No doubt she is or will....however you believe.
In the meantime he would have to settle for me to argue with. One day there will be plenty of time to share those stories without sadness or grief.

The Ups and Downs

Dad has been struggling the last couple days with walking and thinking.....two things he says he can't do at the same time.

Yesterday it took Rod and ME to walk him from the car to his bathroom after the day at the Sr Ctr. Now mind you, we practically carried him into the house. We got so far and we both had to lay him on the carpet because we were out of breath. We couldn't use the walker or the wheel chair at the time. They were too far away to grab so we just thought we could do it ourselves no further than it was. haha We all rested a bit, then we stood Dad up and off we went to set him on the pot.

He says, "Boy, that took a lot out of ME!" I started laughing.....and I said, trying to get my breath, " YEAH, I can imagine that it's exhausting being dragged from the car, up the sidewalk, into the house and across the house, to the bathroom, for YOU!" haha

I kept laughing, walked away....and I could hear him say to Rod, with a little laugh, "She's always making fun of me." hahahaha

The Bathroom Faucet...

Dad got his new faucet in his bathroom put on yesterday. He's been griping about that two handled faucet for months. He wanted two handles to begin with. Then all of a sudden he didn't like it. So I told him I expect him to jump up and down over it when he got the new one. He didn't even notice it had been changed! hahaha Rod helped him take his teeth out last night and he didn't say a word to Rod. So this morning I made him notice it.

What did he say???? IT DON'T WORK....no, not when you touch it and expect it to turn on....he went through that 5 times before I made him THINK on how to turn it on....then I said....how's that?

He said it will work okay. hahahaha

I said you better like it cause it's the LAST one!

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.

AHA! I am back to posting...on FATHER'S DAY 2012

Long break between posts. I am busy, no doubt, but some days I just can't think of what to say.

Just to catch up a little bit....Dad had pneumonia a month ago and spent 5 days in the hospital. We got it tended to very quickly. He started coughing on a Saturday night....started spitting up phlegm on Sunday afternoon at 2pm and was admitted by 6pm that very day. Had we let it go, not knowing what it was, it would have been a lot worse. The home health nurse had JUST been here and listened to his lungs on Wednesday night prior. So it was a fast moving pneumonia. I know with the history of lung problems in our family you don't try to fix it ourselves. Can't be done. I have a history of bronchitis, so did Mom, my sister too and most of Dad's family.
So with some extra care at home after the hospital stay, Dad is better than normal now. In fact, today, he got up on his own, did the bathroom routine with a little help and was motivated to do some things without prompting. That's a first in a very long time.

As some of you know, we just came back from Indiana a week ago. The trip was good for Dad in some ways.....and in other ways, it tired him out. By the end of the week, he had full dementia and was driving us all bonkers. He kept me up two nights at my sister in law's before we headed back to Oklahoma on Sunday. OMG, what a ride home. He had to sit in the back with me because he was grabbing at the steering wheel with Rod driving....he would not stop it so we pulled over and moved him to where I could take care of it. Then he tried to open the door but we had the kids lock on so he couldn't do much. He would NOT go to sleep. So when he got home, he crashed for 2 days.....he needed sleep.....it's a pattern that we often go through. So I let him sleep and would wake him only to use the bathroom and drink fluids. Monday he was so out of it that he didn't even go to Sr Ctr. By Tuesday he was made to go....haha I needed SLEEP! He finally got into the swing of things and by Thursday he was better than usual. He remembers NOTHING of the things that went on during the dementia. He remembers little of from the time we got to Logansport, until we left there. He remembers bits and pieces. He sleeps so much in between that they things he does before he naps fades away. He told me when we got home it was hard to stay awake. He had to force himself to do so.
However, the goal was for him to visit his friends and family who came to see him for one last time....{unless they visit him here} This was our last trip to Logansport. There will be one last trip for Dad and he said that will be when he is laid next to Mom.

He no longer can take those long trips, it was obvious on this last trip. His house is sold.....and he can't function like he used to for enjoying any more trips. I have wanted to take him on a cruise to Alaska for the last several years but he won't go. He says all he will do is sleep anyway. LOL Probably so. I can see it now.....DAD DAD, there's the first sighting of the whales......DAD DAD......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
He says he can watch all that on TV. haha He sleeps through that even!!!!
So I will find stuff locally to keep him entertained. IF ONLY I had some hot little 90 year old to keep his eyes open!  His now girlfriend told him a long time ago to find someone down here to talk to and keep company with.....but he won't do it.....he says he is a one woman man!

So yet another day goes by....Dad is resting after church on this Father's Day. He had one of his favorite meals at Egg It On restaurant.
He has talked to his other daughter and his gal friend already today....so he is down for the afternoon for a nice long nap!

"CEREAL KILLER"

There have been times when shopping with Dad I have laughed....but not like this time.
I separated from Rod and Dad one day at Walmart. I thought that it might not be a good idea but I thought about just how much trouble they could get into and then went ahead and left them anyway. I told Dad to get whatever he wanted and needed.
So I catch up to them in the laundry aisle. I looked down into Dad's cart and counted the boxes of cereal and lost it. {Dad loves cold cereal} The choice of cereal made it even funnier....Cookie Crisp, Lucky Charms, Sugar Frosted Flakes, Golden Grahams, and Mini Wheats...the only healthy one in the bunch....also note the two bags of candy in the corner right of the photo. Oh and pickles...hahaha What a combo! Note that if you have been in any Walmart store...the candy is no where near the food section...so he had Rod make a mad dash to the other side of the store for that candy!

I laughed and laughed until my cheeks hurt. I couldn't even get out the words that described why I was laughing. Dad kept asking me what was so funny. 

Every time I started to talk I burst into laughter again. People around us were laughing and they didn't even know why.
Finally after a few isles I told Dad, to end his curiosity, as to why I was laughing.....it was the number of boxes of cereal that he had. Did we really need that much cereal? The choices of cereal were the choices of a 3 year old.....the candy in the corner was priceless when he had bags of uneaten candy at home.
To make it all even funnier in my mind....He always tells me he is not longed for this world BUT at the rate he thinks he is leaving, is he going to have the TIME to finish all these boxes of cereal. I had 2 boxes of cereal also in my cart!! It was a riot I tell you.
On top of that he had TWO bags of chips. One was sour cream and chive....and the other plain potato chips. Sour Cream and chive? That's odd....he always complained about that flavor when Mom bought it. He wanted Barbecue flavor. Odd what you miss when a loved one is gone. 

Will I miss cereal boxes when Dad is gone? Probably.....but I will always have this story and this photo of the day Dad became a cereal killer!

The Peanut Butter didn't have a chance.

Dad can barely shave...most days he misses half of it...he can't shower alone...He can't even dress himself and get all the clothes on correctly. Forget about writing a letter or spreading his own sandwich with mayo....HOWEVER, any given day Dad sure can dig out the peanut butter from the bottom of the jar!! I saw him working so hard on this for 30 minutes and I just had to go get the camera....I couldn't stop jiggling the camera from laughing. It's hard to be quiet and not laugh at this.

Catching up...

Ooops, too long in between posts. I told my Sister part of a couple stories I needed to get in here to post. She says she checks often if I have written anything so I suppose I best get with it and get something going. It's not that I don't have anything to say. haha Oh that would probably never happen unless my tongue was missing.

First of all, I have been preoccupied with some changes going on within the family and by the time I get around to posting, I am too pooped to pop. Or in this case, to write and think.
I am getting much done around the house though. I am still putting up Dad's shelving and cabinets....I have one cabinet of Dad's to sand down and stain before it goes up on the wall. I have let it set long enough. When Dad built this cabinet he made it to not show on the left side...but where it's going in his room, it will show so I have to finish the left side to match the right side. It's been on my to-do list.

Most of the time he deals okay with dementia but it's at night it is the worse.
That's when I need to sleep but he has many things happening at the very time my brain says to sleep. On the weekends when Rod doesn't work he gets up with Dad so I can sleep. The rest of the time is my turn. Last night was not especially pleasant. Dad argues with me as I have pointed out before...he won't take my word or anyone else's that what he sees is not really happening. During the day one can reason with him but in the middle of the night when he is half asleep....well, let's just say, if you are in the conversation with Dad, you might as well give it up and uh huh everything. haha. There is no winning the argument at 4 am.

He got on the phone the other day to talk to my Sister. You would think he is the doom and gloom bearer of news. "I can't go outside by myself", I heard him say. OUTSIDE by himSELF?? Where did that come from? If I told him to go outside you would think he was being tortured. haha. He has no desire to go outside...in fact, when I open his door to the outside in his room....first thing out of his mouth, "Where's that draft coming from?" He comes up with some good ones when he is on the phone. He tells his galfriend that he doesn't get to go anywhere and he stays here and sleeps all day!!! The truth is, he gripes that he has to go to so many places. I should make a little video of his daily routine and most people half his age would complain that they are doing too much. He stays as busy as one can stay at almost 92.

He has to stay busy and yes, I make him walk....he wants to park his butt in the wheel chair and I won't let him. I tell him over and over, the day you sit in that wheel chair is the day you give up walking. There are times when he is having a very hard time walking and I have him use the wheel chair but it is only temporarily. We start physical therapy again when that happens. Oh he hates that too! ha

So as far as his health and condition right now....he really is in good shape. He does have that back trouble that causes him not too walk fast. He walks all stooped over and can't stand straight up....but he takes pain medication for it. Enough to keep the major pain down but not too much to cause him to be konked out. There's a fine line in getting the right medication for someone Dad's age.
His Dr and I work to make sure he is never overmedicated. Dad has to be able to help me as much as he can physically do in order for me to take care of him.
His mind is clear most of the time. One thing Dad is very clear about is when it's time to eat! It's a big joke around here about Dad. IF we want him to wake up all we have to do is get some dessert and go in the living room with it and MAGICALLY Dad wakes up, WIDE awake wanting to know where HIS piece is!

So this is an update and stay tuned for some dementia stories....funny stuff to follow this post...

Typical Conversations...

Typical conversations between Dad and me.

Wendy… Dad it's time for your bath.

Dad…What day is it?

Wendy: It’s the day you take your bath, who cares what day it is?

Dad…I DO!

Wendy… It’s time to eat, Dad.

Dad…What time is it?

TIME TO EAT DAD!

Wendy…Come to the bathroom and take your teeth out and get ready for bed.

Dad…I have my teeth out!

Wendy…You do NOT!

Dad…Yes I DO!

Wendy...Use your tongue and feel your teeth.

Dad….hesitates…OH, guess I do have my teeth in.

Just come to the bathroom and do as I ask…

Dad…You ask TOO much!

DUMB and DUMBER...You figure out who is who!

Last Evening...
Dad had just finished eating and was still in the kitchen. Rod had finished and was now in his chair in the living room. I was urging Dad to get up and go to his chair in the living room so I could go and sit down myself.
Dad got up and walked to his chair and I glanced down at his feet and there seemed to be something sticking out of the pants he had on. I didn't think too much of it at the time. I finished walking him to the chair. I got my drink and sat down in my chair. I look over at Dad and asked, "Where did you get those sweat pants that you have on?" He looks at me and says, "Out of the dirty clothes." So here goes twenty questions just to get to the simple truth of the matter....I repeated what all he had said and basically it was like this. He had come home from the Senior Center and he walked back to the bathroom first. He thought his sweat pants he wore from that morning were WET so he took them off. Then he grabbed a pair of DIRTY ones from the hamper in his bathroom. {I have repeatedly asked him NOT to do that. Call me!!} Then somehow those sweatpants had not been cleaned out and he NOW had a pair of his underwear sticking out from the elastic band at the bottom.
I get up from my chair laughing and pull the underwear out. I asked him how they go there and of course, he didn't know. He didn't put them there! Dad, using NO logic whatsoever said they could be the ones he is wearing now. How COULD that be? haha

They also still had the old pad in it that he had taken off with the sweatpants and put in the hamper. {Oh I could tell you horror stories with Dad's dirty clothes hamper}
So he still couldn't figure how those underwear got in there trying to convince me that he didn't put them there. As Rod is laughing along with all this, he pipes up and tells me he can't hear his Celtic Thunder DVD. I looked at him and said calmly, "Does this face look as though it cares that you can't hear the same DVD that you have listened to at least 20 times?" I am still laughing at Dad who is still trying to figure out what happened.

All at the same time, I happened to mention to Rod that if he liked that music so well why didn't he listen to Gordon Lightfoot because that was the ballad type music that he was listening to.
Rod looks at me and says, "Didn't he sing Ella Fitzgerald?"

OMG, I really laughed and peed my pants that time. Ella Fitzgerald!!!! He threw me off so much with that one that I really couldn't even remember the name of the song Gordon sang until 2 days later....The Wreck of The Edmond Fitzgerald!!

So you figure out who is Dumb and who is Dumber!

Working on Dad's Blog

I have been really busy lately and again late on blogging. I was attempting to change the design but the computer doesn't want to cooperate so will do that later.
Dad is doing well. He has a little dementia here and there but nothing that really effects his day to day living.
It seems that when Dad sleeps is when he dreams of being somewhere else and then when he awakes he imagines he is still there.

He comes home from the Senior Center with all kinds of stories about what goes on there... Sometimes he gets irritated that we don't believe him. It's hard to believe that there is a basement where there are "goings on" and such. LOL

I think there was a murder there....and dealing drugs and dope, as he calls it.
He says they are all related there and they show favoritism to some of them. Oh yeah, like when someone else besides Dad gets the biggest piece of cake.  He always has his eyes on everyone else's food. He does that at home and has done that all his life I would bet. He always looked at other people's plates. I think that has a "thing" about food.
I would suppose being the oldest of eight that grew up in the 20's, food was a big deal.
Even after all these years when food was plenty it's always amazing to see those things that stay with us from the time we were little.

Pinocchio Odie

Dad was in the bathroom using the toilet....he seemed to be in a hurry to get there after we just got home from a restaurant. (if ya get my drift)
So next thing I know he is walking into the living room. I asked him why he didn't ring the bell so I could come and help. He said he didn't need to. I asked him if he had a BM and he said yes.
Hmmmm, I always have to assist him with the cleaning so I asked him he had any trouble cleaning himself. He says no....
Next thing I asked was if he washed his hands. I usually clean him because he can't do it very well and then he won't use the soap and water.
Oh yeah, he says....he washed his hands.
Right.
So I grab his hand like I did my little kids and there was no soap smell on them....no dampness from the water either. Did he think I just got off the boat yesterday? haha So he says quickly....Oh I didn't use soap and he grinned.....
So now I am on a quest.....I go to his sink and guess what.....the sink is as dry as it was when it was first put in.
So out to the living room I go...........I said you didn't wash your hands even with water, let alone soap. Now how many things are you going to touch with those germ filled hands before you go to bed.
He starts grinning. I caught him in a big lie and told him he was grounded. LOL He laughed and told me he couldn't pull anything over on me.
Sheesh.....who would have thought and old man would lie to his daughter like that?

Pinocchio lives here.

Have I Got a Girlfriend for My Dad!!

A friend of mine sent me this and he told me that Dad should get a kick out of it. I can't wait to show him when he gets home today from the Senior Center.
See slide show and video...left side, scroll down in article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/automobiles/packard-81-is-a-youngster-to-its-driver.html?_r=1

Dad's Quick Wit...

Dad shaves himself with his electric razor most of the time but he misses spots...so Sunday morning I am helping him get the stubborn hairs under his nose....I 'gently' grab his nose and point it up and use the hand razor to get the hairs....so you have a picture now, right...?

Wendy...I have to get those hairs under your nose....the best way would be the tweezers but you won't hold still for that....*laughing*

Dad...Arrrgggh, do you have to 'bout pull my nose off."

Wendy...I am not pulling your nose off, you exaggerate.

Dad...It feels like you ripped my nose off.

Wendy...There, all shaved...now don't you feel better?

Dad..Yes, now that you quit!

You've Heard of a Traffic Jam but.....

Have you heard of a WALKER JAM?

That's what Dad called it.

Dad and I were relaxing in the living room and he suddenly remembered how the walker isn't working right. What is there to WORK on a walker you might ask? Dad says there are plenty of things to go wrong with a walker....the riveted section, the screws, the brakes need adjustment, (he says they aren't calibrated correctly), & the wheels are too small for the size of the walker. You name it, and there is some need to fix it. IT'S A WALKER, not a CHEVY!

Here's what happens...Dad says the brakes lock up on him causes a Walker Jam at the Senior Center. Yeah....imagine that. I have seen him dozens of times, take off pushing the walker only to move his hands down which locks the walker....he says that's not true...I have witnesses!

So the conversation continues....A walker jam I asked? What has that got to do with a loose screw or brakes slipping and locking up or whatever?

Dad says that when the brakes lock up it causes the walkers to jam into each other. LOL

Ohhhhhh...he says that when he first came there to the center, there was maybe 3 people that used walkers....now there are at least 10 and they are always getting tangled up.

(Not to mention that none of these very Senior people can drive a car or a walker.)

So when I question Dad about how a screw loose can effect his driving capabilities I get answers like......."I ought to know something about how to fix things, I have been doing it for 90 years"....NINETY? He started when he was ONE? LOL

So silly me, I go get the WD-40 which in my opinion, fixes just about everthing....and a screwdriver and a wrench. NONE, I mean not ONE of those screws and nuts were loose. I pointed that out to Dad...."Oh yes they are, you just can't find them." The ones that I tighten aren't even connected to the brakes because there are NONE connected to the brakes. I tried to tell him that but......well, let's just say that Dad thinks I am full of hot air. (mumbling--not anymore than I think HE is full of hot air. lol)

So he throws up his hands and says he knows the brakes are locking up. Actually there are not much to the mechanics of a walker....but Dad thinks there is.

He says he would appreciate a new one with bigger wheels....AHA! Now we are getting down to the nitty gritty.

I found something pretty interesting about Dad living with me that I didn't know about him. He likes to changed stuff. Cars....tools.....buildings. LOL He likes to chop down trees for no apparent reason too. That's a whole other set of stories. So he apparently feels that trading in the old walker for a new one makes a lot of sense. I don't! hahaha I could recover the seat and snazzy it up a bit and tell him it's a new one...not sure if that would work though.

So I oiled the joints on the walker.....and let Dad test drive it....

Yep, works fine....until this morning....we are going out to the car. He is pushing it just fine....and then suddenly stops and goes backward causing the front wheels to turn rapidly and get caught.....THEN he says, "See how they lock up on me." YEAH! But why did you just suddenly stop and go backwards?????

He don't know. haha

Dad's a Winner at the Tulsa State Fair

Dad cleaned up this year~He had his stained glass and some woodworking at the Tulsa State Fair. First time he ever took anything to the fair, he said. He has plenty to enter next year as well. We will never run out of stuff to take to the fair, believe me. He got First Place with a wooden bowl he made. He got First place with two stained glasses pieces, 2nd place on another stained glass and one 3rd place with stained glass.
In a few weeks he will be getting some nice checks in the mail.

Mistaken Identity?

I suggested that Dad call his girlfriend last night. We have been so busy that we have not had time to return a call she made to Dad last week.

Here's how the first part of the call went...

Louise: "Hello?"

Dad: "Well, hello there Baby."

Louise: 'a slight pause on the other end...and then "Who is this? Is that you Odus?"

Okay, I laughed....and laughed, and had to leave the room. Just how many phone calls does she get that start off Hello there Baby? hahaha

Art Linkletter was right....People ARE Funny....but OLD people are hysterical!!

Great Music at the Car Show

Photos of Dad taking a nap, sitting in the chair chilling because of the "draft" on him....only one there with a blankie on. LOL

They played a mix of music....from rockin' gospel to car related tunes....Route 66, Beach Boys, etc.
Watch a video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSnqsi6dJV0

It's CAR SHOW Time...

We are just at the point where we get the cars out to take to shows. It's just been too hot this summer and I knew Dad wouldn't be able to take the heat. Yesterday was a good day although windy to go take the Packard.

We went to church in the Packard...then off to get my car at home and off to a nearby church in Tulsa that was having a show. Naturally Rod got the time wrong....*rolling my eyes*. He must have got it confused with the time a RACE starts. LOL So we had time to kill. We left the Packard there with all the organizers. We were second in line. That's how early we were.

So we left in my car to go see what we could do. We dropped off some books at my girlfriends house...then off to Freckles for some frozen custard. We had concretes. Dad had a smores in a cup and OMG, that was so good. They roasted the marshmallows right there and I told them how much. Then in another part of the store they sell candy....mistake to walk in that area. I had to get a HUGE caramel/pecan apple. I will go back to that store.

Then we finally killed enough time to get back to the parking lot for the car show. It was filling up....he filled the ENTIRE parking lot eventually and spilled over into the lawn and front parking lot. Dad had the only Packard though. This was a fun show, no awards....but lots of good free food...hot dogs, hamburgers, desserts, pop and chips. We had the dessert first earlier but like Dad always says....."I like to eat my dessert first in case I don't have room for it later."

Dad stayed out there with us for almost 7 hours. I told him I could take him home before it ended but nope, he wanted to see the cars and so we took turns pushing him around in the walker. Next year we bring the motor cart.

Lots of great cars. Dad was in his element....he knows the years and the makes of these classics....some things he is never going to forget.

We had a good time....Oh and Dad got the autograph of Miss Oklahoma.

Next up....the STATE FAIR!

A Visit with Johnny

I think I told part of this story before but let me recap.
Dad had a friend at the Senior Center that he connected with the first day he went. They both were a few months apart in age. They sat together, ate together, and made sure they had daily time together. Johnny had been declining in health, even Dad noticed it. His daughter decided that he be served best in a home. I hate the word nursing home because it conjure up images that are not pleasant. The daughter, Donna inspires me....she had her parents in her home for 11 years. Her Mother passed away 5 years ago....and if that wasn't hard enough she lost her husband just a year and a half ago. She works full time and takes care of her Father. I told her that when I have a bad day I think of how she kept on going without ANY help daily and then I can move on. However, it has taken a toll and her Dad was a fall risk. He is mostly blind and it became necessary to move him to this new center.

Dad was very upset the last day Johnny was there. He didn't really know before hand this day was coming because Johnny wasn't really told either. It was something that might upset him and his daughter thought it was better to wait. I agreed with her.

Dad came home that day saying that you might not believe this story but Johnny is going to a nursing home. I did believe it because I had been told about it earlier in the day.
I knew Dad would be upset when he found out. He was. He started crying and I put my arms around him and told him not to worry....we would go see Johnny for sure. Dad said the hardest thing for him was the fact that Johnny didn't even get to see his Durant. Johnny so much wanted to see that car.

Again, I told Dad not to worry we would make sure that Johnny gets to see that car soon. His daughter and I have already made plans for Johnny to come to the house to see the car this month....and of course to get a ride in it.

I called his daughter to get directions for the home and she told me about the place. Rolling hills, flowers, patios to sit in the sun, wonderful staff and food.

So we went last Saturday. Donna was right....beautiful place. Staff was so nice even to us and we were just visiting. The gal that works in Johnny's section has been there since 1995. She told me how it all was set up and it's a not like any nursing home I had been in. It was sectioned off and they ate more like a family setting...they had their own kitchen in their area. Beautiful area with the newest of everything, and clean.....very clean. No bad smells as in other nursing homes I have been in.

They have these areas outside of their rooms called memory boxes. It shows their hobbies, or items they made, collected with photos. It's very nice as it helps visitors, staff, and others get to know the resident better.
When we see an elderly person, maybe one who doesn't communicate, or may not even know you are there....we don't see WHO they used to be. They were just like us, with dreams, hopes, hobbies, talents and they had a LIFE!

I have noticed with Dad that many just see an old man who has Rod and I to take care of him.

Then there are those in certain groups that know better....they are informed, they are open minded and treat Dad no different.

I have had people come up to me when Dad and I are together and ask if Dad likes a certain thing....of course, my favorite line is......"I dunno, ask him, he is right here." LOL Gee whiz people, he's old, not dead!

There they were....Johnny and Dad, visiting, laughing, sharing stories again.

I got a few shots of them together. Johnny sure seemed happy to see Dad again. Johnny told me this..."Odie and I went everywhere together. What I did, he did, what he did, I did. We are good friends. We hit it off right away."

I left them alone for awhile and joined Rod in the common are where he was WATCHING A FOOTBALL GAME! LOL Where else?

Lesson for the day------------You are never too old to make new friends, Dad and Johnny are the example of that. They both are 91.

Durant Day at the Senior Center

Dad had HIS day today...but he had no idea what all it took to get the Durant ready to take to the Senior Center. We have had rain for several days. We did need it but it had been getting in the way of our plans to get the cars out of storage. The rain finally ended and then yesterday I got a terrible migraine and Rod had to help me out and it delayed getting the Durant out of storage for today. So later last night Rod went to the storage to get the Durant and it wouldn't start. He had started it on Saturday but that's the trouble with these antique cars. They are tempermental. So Rod calls me to tell me the problem. I told him that I didn't care how he got the car out and got it started but we promised Dad he would have that car tomorrow so just do it. Call AAA and have them tow it here and then work on it tonight....but figure something out. It just so happened it was a dead battery and by the skin of his teeth, Rod got the car back to the house with a new battery before the storage closed at 9pm. Dad had already gone to bed although he was concerned for Rod having to get the Durant all prepared for him. I told Dad not to worry, Rod WILL figure it out.

I was grateful. I told Rod that I appreciated his efforts and he had gone without dinner and wasn't wanting anything to eat but was just going to take a shower and go to bed. I think he was relieved that he did get it started because he knew how much this next day was going to mean to Dad. After all, who knows how many good days Dad will have like this and to be able to show off his Durant is at the top of Dad's list of favorites. So in the morning, Dad got dressed....shaved, and ready to get his shoes on....THEN he asks, "Hey, how did it turn out with the Durant? I suppose Rod couldn't get it started, huh?" I said "Now Dad, you know Rod wouldn't give up....it's in the driveway!"

You should have seen the look on Dad's face. Pure joy as I would describe it.

Off to the Center at 8:30am and I told Dad that we would have the car over there by one o'clock. They weren't going to start taking photos by the Durant until then. I came home and polished the car because it was really dusty from sitting for the last two years. It's really hard for me to do this sort of labor but I kept thinking just how important this is for Dad. May not seem like a big deal to others, but for Dad, it was big.

I had plans to drive it myself.....but, as it turned out, I had trouble starting it. I know how to start it, I know how to drive it....but I got a little panicked. I called Rod and told him the problem and he said he had plans to leave work anyway. He would be there by noon and drive the Durant to the Center. I would take him back to work. Sounded good to me....I was relieved that I wasn't having to stress out about it not starting.

I came back to the center in about an hour....Dad was outside walking around talking to a sweet little old lady about his car. I was taking photos already and I walked in on a conversation between the two of them. She was wanting to know if he was still driving....and IF he got to ride in it and IF he tooks others for a drive. Okay, I laughed.....I thought, this gal is hinting for ride....WITH Dad. haha Women love men with fancy cars!!

Jennifer, who organized the day, was bringing out the people from the center in small groups. Dad was just as happy as could be talking about his car. He opened the trunk and showed some the Mother-in-law seat. lol Oh they thought that was funny! Have the old lady ride in the trunk!

Dad and I ended up standing by the trunk alone. I told him that I spent 90 minutes this morning cleaning and polishing the car. (Trying to get some credit here as Dad likes to do.) He looks at me and says, "Good for you." I said, "Is that all you are going to say?" Dad's response you might ask? A handshake! LOL

Then one guy wanted to see the motor. Dad said men like to see the motor....so he opens it with a little help from me and other gentleman. I am careful to at least let Dad try first before jumping in. He did get one side but the other was a little tight. So for half an hour these two men talk about the engine. LOL

At the end of the tour of residents...Dad was winding down himself. I took him back inside and told him that Rod would be back after work and he would ride home with him in the Durant. So I told Dad to go inside and take a little nap now...he had earned it.

Dad comes home and he said to me, "Well kid, I say it was a success!"

Yes, Dad....it WAS a success!

Took Me Long Enough

Shut my mouth and call me stupid....took me long enough to figure out how to log into my google name and post in here instead of constantly going back in forth from Dad's email to mine....sheesh. My brain cells are dying as I type it seems.
HOWEVER...I have found a quicker way to blog which should end my procrastination!
Hallelujah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTx8IGPwrIk

Adoptive Step-Father?

Rod had plans to get the Packard out on Saturday night and too polish it to take to a car show on Sunday. We had rain all day Saturday and it was messing up his plans. Eventually the rain stopped and Rod went to get the car from storage. Dad had been sleeping in his chair while Rod had left but he woke up to find him gone.

Dad got up out of his chair, headed for the bathroom....(yes, he is walking on his own now) and turns to me and says, "Where is my adoptive step-father?"

I looked at him oddly with my brow down and asked, "WHO?"

Dad said, "Rod".

I laughed a little, thinking over again what he called him.

Funny how Dad's mind works.

The Mystery of the Egg

Last Thursday I was slow in getting up to get Dad ready for his day at the Senior Center.
Just a few more moments of sleep is all I wanted....but eventually I gave in and got up only to find Dad asleep. I didn't really want to wake him so I tried to call the Sr Ctr to let them know we would be late and I would get breakfast for Dad, but the phones were out in the BA center.

I passed Dad's room and he was just trying to get out of bed. So we got dressed and off to Braums we went for breakfast. As we drove up he wanted to know what we were doing there. I told him the story and he fell right into the surprise change in routine.

Dad wanted to try something different so he had eggs put on top of his gravy and biscuits.

I was watching Dad eat the eggs and something just occurred to me....maybe it had occurred to others but it was my first moment of wonder.

I said to Dad...."I wonder who was the first person in the world that decided to eat an egg?
I mean was it a cave man wandering the fields....looking down in the grass and maybe seeing a bird squeezing out an egg....then walking away.....then thinking to himself.....HEY, how about if I eat that white oval thing that just popped out of that bird's BUTT?"

So we both laughed and I got the giggles for a little bit....Dad was still eating his eggs laughing.
By now others around us were sorta smiling because laughing is contagious even if you don't know what others were laughing about. Had they known they might have got the uncontrollable giggles themselves.

So after we calmed down a bit from laughing DAD, out of the blue, naturally....says,
"What really puzzles me is these little black specks in the gravy......why would they put dog's heads and animals heads in my gravy?"

I started laughing again.....eventually laughing till I had tears in my eyes.
Dad again had taken my story of the egg and turned into an Odie, The One Man Show Stopper.
He just sat there looking at me laughing and looking down at his plate of gravy, biscuits, eggs, and oh yeah, THOSE BLACK SPECKS of PEPPER!