114?

I overheard a guy talking on his cell phone today. His side of the conversation went something like this:

************************************************

"Yeah, he's still sick."

(pause...)

"She says he still has some "temp-a-chure"."

(pause...)

"Yeah, it's about a hundred and fourteen, or something about like that."

************************************************

Wow! I hope not!

Partsologist

I was calling around to the salvage yards to see if I could find a door handle for Lindsay's car. On one of the calls I was put on hold, and a recording came on the line saying, "Your call is very important to us, but all of our partsologists are currently busy helping other customers. Please hold for the next board certified partsologist."

Not only are they partsologists, but they are board certified partsologists. How special!

Did I Mention That I'm Retiring?

FOR QUITE A WHILE I had been thinking about retirement. I would get fairly close to making a decision, then I’d back out for one reason or another. I suppose the main reason most recently has been because of the economy, and the impact it has had on my 401k. Like most other people, mine took quite a hit. At least I was well diversified in my investments, so I guess it could have been worse. Although the economy is showing some signs of stabilizing, I wonder if it has really reached bottom yet.

ANYWAY, I THINK something happened a couple of weeks ago that was an answer to prayer. Over the past couple of years, I had been thinking that after I retire I’d like to work for Robert, my son-in-law who owns House of Cycles, a motorcycle dealership in West Monroe. I never did want to come right out and tell him that, or ask him if he’d hire me when the time comes for me to retire, because I don’t think it would be right for me to put him in that situation.

THEN ONE DAY he asked me if I knew of anyone who needed a job. At that time I didn’t, but I told him I’d keep my eyes and ears open and let him know if I could think of someone. I asked him what kind of job it was, and he said he would be needing someone to work in his Finance and Insurance department. When he said that, my heart started really pumping. I thought to myself that I believe I could do that job. I don’t think I immediately said anything to Robert about the possibility of me doing that job, but I might have. I do remember that at some point I told him that if he would consider hiring me, I believe I’d like to have that job. I told him that I didn't want him to give me his answer right now, but to pray about it and let me know later.

ROBERT ALSO NEEDED TO CONFIRM that the lady who’s currently doing F&I would definitely be leaving (going back to school), then he’d let me know. As it turned out, she did get accepted into nursing school, so she will be leaving at the end of July. That pretty well firmed it up. Robert said he would hire me. Wow! Now things started buzzing!

ABOUT A YEAR AGO I had told my boss that I had been thinking about retiring soon. Then at the end of last year, he questioned me about my retirement plans. He was in the process of projecting head count, and he was curious about what my plans were to see what kind of impact it would have on his head count. I told him that since the economy looked like it was in the tank, I really didn’t feel like I was in a position to go. I did tell him, however, that when I do decide to leave I would give him plenty of notice and not just walk out on him.

SO THERE WE WERE at the end of April, and Robert and I were talking about me going to work for him the first of August. That would leave all of May, June, and July for my boss to find someone to replace me. So about the last day of April, maybe the next to last day, I called my boss and told him that I had decided to retire at the end of July.

I SET MY RETIREMENT DATE as August 1. My last day on payroll will be July 31. That will give me 36 years and one day of service. I still remember the day I started working for the company.

I HAD INITIALLY THOUGHT that my last day behind a desk would be June 23, then I’d begin on June 24 taking my remaining vacation days and personal days leading up to retirement. I had begun the countdown! I was getting short! (I was not having a “short-timers” attitude, by the way. I still am responsible for my work, and I want it done right.) I had given my schedule to my boss, detailing exactly when my last day at the office would be, when my vacation would begin, and when my last day on payroll would be.

THEN A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO it dawned on me that since we were bought by another corporation, they have a totally different policy when it comes to vacation time. Under the old corporation’s policy, I would be entitled to take all my remaining vacation days before retirement. The new policy is that vacation days are prorated for management employees leaving the company. I, for example, would not be entitled to my full 25 days vacation. Since I’m leaving in July, I am only entitled to 14 days and five hours of vacation time, and since I’ve already taken four vacation days (and a couple of personal days) I’m only entitled to an additional 10 days and five hours of vacation (plus my remaining personal days). So now instead of being able to begin my vacation on June 24, I will begin on July 9. But that’s only after I go in and work for three hours that day, then I will use the five hours vacation time for the remainder of the day.

I KNOW THAT IN YEARS PAST I had forfeited anywhere from 8 to 12 days vacation during any given year. That’s no one’s fault but my own. I enjoyed working, and I didn’t mind giving up the vacation days. I was not asked to give them up, I just didn’t take them because ... well, I just didn’t. But I am a little resentful that the situation is what it is now concerning the prorating of vacation time. I know different corporations have different policies, but it still irritates me, even though it’s my own fault.

AS OF RIGHT NOW, I have 41 days and three hours left behind the desk. Those are working days, not calendar days. For the next several days I’ll be in the process of writing detailed processes for the work I do. That will help whomever will take my place.

AS I THINK BACK, there are so many memories I have of things that have happened over these last 36 years. The good memories far outweigh the not so good memories. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to come up with enough not so good memories to fill a thimble. I have so many funny stories that I could tell. Maybe someday I’ll blog about some of them.

AND THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE whom I hope I’ll never forget. I could write quite a few blogs about some of them, too. Maybe one day I will.

I’M EXCITED ABOUT going to work for Robert. I sincerely want be an asset to him. I think he has high expectations about me working for him, and he has every right to those expectations. I want to be able to live up to, and exceed, those expectations.

DID I MENTION THAT I’M RETIRING?

Wow - It's Been a While!

While I’m taking a late lunch break, I’ll take a few minutes to try to catch up on some of the things that have gone on since my last entry. Wow - it’s been a while!

FIRST, ABOUT MAMA -- She still seems to have some days that are better than most. There are occasions when she recognizes us. And there are still those times when she seems to not know anyone and be in a world that is completely her own. She appears to be losing a lot of strength in her legs, and it probably won’t be too much longer before she will need a wheel chair to get around. She has fallen several times. One or two of them have been quite serious, but fortunately there have been no broken bones. Some of the stories she tells are very amusing and don’t have a shred of truth to them, but to her they are as real as they can be. Sue said that the last time Mama fell, she was telling the doctor at the hospital that she was at a costume party. There were hardwood floors that were very slippery, and she was wearing her high heel shoes and slipped. How did she come up with that? And she told me about “the place” where she gets her mail... “It has 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 on it, and some people are getting the wrong mail.” About all that I could do was to reassure her that I’ve already taken care of that, and she needn’t worry. I really, really wonder what’s going on inside her mind. What’s she thinking about when she is sitting there in silence? Does she really know what’s going on, but can’t express it? Does she think about current events (in her world), or does she remember actual events that took place before Alzheimer’s Disease stole her mind? Sometimes she does say things that are accurate that relate to times gone by. -- And then there’s Sayid (Melissa’s and Lindsay’s 11 month old Boxer puppy who probably weighs about 60 pounds). They take Sayid to see Mama occasionally, and Mama’s eyes light up and she smiles all over herself! She absolutely loves Sayid. She talks about how sweet he is, and she says, “I just love him.” We take Mama outside in a wheel chair when Sayid visits, and he will try to get up to her face as she’s sitting there. We’ll put his front feet on each side of her, and he almost smothers her with kisses from that big old tongue of his. Mama loves that. Then when Sayid settles down a little bit, Mama will try to lean down and rub Sayid’s back as best she can without falling out of the chair. Melissa and Lindsay had two close-up pictures of Sayid’s face blown up into 8x10 pictures. We put them on the wall in Mama’s room, and she told me the other day that she looks at them every day. Last Sunday when we visited her, I told her that we had a visitor who wanted to see her. With no prompting or hinting at all, she said, “Is it Sayid?” When I told her it was, she said, “Oh, good. I looked at his picture today.” It’s amazing how something as simple as a visit from Sayid seems to give her so much joy.

FAMILY NIGHTS -- are still happening on Thursdays. Every now and then we’ll have to cancel for one reason or another, but for the most part they are still going strong. Yvonne, Rusty, Grayson, and Phillip have started coming to Family Night recently. It’s so good that they come. And it’s good to have other visitors along with family.

OH, YES -- I reached another milestone. Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of my heart attack. I guess I never will forget that morning, April 23, 1998, when it happened. I thought something awfully peculiar was going on while I was on my way to work, but I rationalized it and went on to work anyway. Then before the morning even got started good, I had to ask one of my co-workers to get me to the hospital. Fortunately it was adjacent to where I work, so we didn’t have far to travel. One of the things that sticks with me is that while I was still at the office, Lindsay called me with car trouble while she was on her way to school. I didn’t want to tell her what was going on with me at the time, and I was upset that I couldn’t go rescue her. I don’t remember what I told her to do, but I knew that I needed to get to the hospital fast. I felt so bad about not being able to help her, but I got my co-worker who took me to the hospital to help out with Lindsay’s car problem. Ironically, he’s the same person who took me to the hospital a few years earlier when I had my first encounter with a kidney stone.

AT THE END OF JULY -- I’ll have 36 years service with AT&T, formerly BellSouth. To me, that’s a long time. I’ve been wondering how much longer I’ll work before retiring and doing something different.

FACEBOOK -- is addictive. I hate to think about how much time I must spend on there, but it’s a good place to keep up with what’s happening in friend’s lives, run up on long lost friends, and make connections with relatives I never knew I had. Some things that get put on there, though, are quite crude and shouldn’t be put out there for public display. Other things are of value, or just plain interesting and fun to read.

THE WEATHER -- is nice.

GOD -- is good.

Be Back in 30 Minutes?

Some people don't think before they post an "Out to Lunch" note on their window.

I went somewhere today to see if they filed with my insurance company on a quite large ($7000+) medical bill. The window was closed, and a note was posted: "Out to Lunch - Back in 30 Minutes."

Question: What time did you leave? How do I know if you'll be back 30 minutes from right now, or if you left 29 minutes ago and you'll be back in one minute?

Some people don't think!

And that's from my point of view!

A Family Celebration for Mama's Birthday

Sue and Don picked up Mama from the nursing home this afternoon and took her to their house. Most of the family members were able to be there for a little birthday celebration. She was 82 years old last Thursday. Sue made a cake for her, and we had that cake and some ice cream. 

Doug couldn't be there because he's still trying to recuperate from bronchitis. Eric wasn't able to make it because he had a migraine headache. Robert, Jennifer, Brooklyn, and Seth couldn't make it because Jennifer and Brooklyn were not feeling well. And Joseph wasn't able to be there, but I'm not sure why.  --  (Update - I just heard from Joseph - he was at LSU meeting with a counselor about getting into the school. Way to go, Joseph. Good luck!)

But here are the ones who were there: Mama; Sue, Don, and Leigh Ann; Tori; Ginger and me; Melissa and Lindsay; Rusty, Yvonne, Grayson, and Phillip; Josh. I don't think I left anyone out. 

Mama seemed to have a pretty good idea what was going on. She liked the cake and ice cream, but she complained a little later that she gets sick when she eats. Most of the time she sat with her head down, a little like she was trying to sleep. But when someone spoke to her she would raise her head some and answer. 

Sue brought one of her (Sue's) cats to Mama for her to see. Mama rubbed the cat's head for a minute, then the cat was ready to get out of there. Too much excitement for that cat with all those people there! Mama always loved animals, and I know she misses not having her cats that she used to have. She used to mention them often, but I haven't heard her talk about them in quite a while now. When Sue and I were taking Mama back to the nursing home, she said that she wants to get a little chihuahua puppy one day. We didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't have one, so we just made small talk in general about little puppies.

I think it did Mama some good to get out of the nursing home for a while. If nothing else, it was a change of scenery, and it might have helped stimulate her mind a little bit.

She told Sue that next time she (Sue) goes shopping, she wants to go with her. She said she needs to get some washcloths and hand towels. It's sad that in her mind she believes that she needs some of those. Sue did tell Mama that she'd take her shopping with her after the weather warms up a little.

When Sue and I were taking Mama back to the nursing home, it was cold outside as we were walking from Sue's house to the van and from the van to the nursing home. When we got inside the nursing home, Mama wanted to know if it was warm or cold inside. I asked her if it felt warmer to her, and she said it did. It's odd to think that she could feel that it was warmer, but in spite of that, she asked if it was warm or cold inside. It's so bizarre how Alzheimer's affects the mind.

Mama seemed to tear up a little every now and then, but it didn't last long. Overall, I think it was a good day for her. I'm happy she had a good day.

January 22, 2009 - Mama's Birthday!

Today is Mama's birthday. She is 82 years old today. This birthday for her was so different from the ones in the past. We always were able to take her out to dinner, have lots of family members with us, and really have a good time. This year, it's sad to say, she spent her special day at the nursing home.

Sue made a lot of cupcakes earlier in the day and took them by there and left them with Janice, the nurse on duty. We were going to try to be there around 2:30 p.m. for a little party for her. Don was pretty sick, not to mention that Sue is trying to recuperate from bronchitis. But Don had a "work-you-in" appointment at 2:00 p.m. with the doctor, and Leigh Ann didn't get off work until 2:15 p.m. Sue and Leigh Ann did make it about on time, though. Don was still at the doctor's office. Doug couldn't be there because he's also trying to recuperate from a case of bronchitis. (Me - I'm in great shape for the shape I'm in!) So Sue, Leigh Ann, and I were there for a little while to help celebrate her birthday. They had a chair for her with a helium filled "Happy Birthday" balloon tied to it. Mama had already eaten a cupcake before we got there, and while we were there she ate two more. And I know of three little cups of punch she had. Then she wanted to know if she could have some cookies. Mama really loves her sweets! It's amazing that she only weighs 122 pounds. To avoid spoiling her dinner, we kind of "talked around" the cookie issue, and she didn't mention that any more.

Saturday afternoon about 3:00 o'clock (I think) Sue is going to pick Mama up and take her to Sue's house for a little get together and party for her. We're looking forward to that, and we hope Mama will be able to realize what's going on. I hope it will be a happy time for her.

Yesterday's Visit

Ginger and I went to see Mama yesterday after church. Usually on Sundays when we've gone after church, she's been sleeping, and it has always been hard to wake her up, if she wakes up at all. So yesterday we went by Melissa's and Lindsay's for a few minutes, then we ate some lunch before going to visit. I guess it was about 2:30 p.m. when we got there.

An aide was in her room with her, but came out shortly. We went in, and as usual, she was in her bed. Her eyes were closed, so we assumed she was sleeping. We gently spoke to her and asked her if she were sleeping. She said she was trying to wake up, so that was good. 

We were able to get her to walk a little bit with us up and down the hall. She seemed very unsteady, and her legs seemed to be very weak. She wanted to sit down in the "commons area," so we sat there and talked for a while.

She asked for some juice and cookies. She loves her snacks. She ate a couple of fig newtons and asked if there were any more. So the nurse brought a couple more to her, and she didn't waste any time getting those down.

She wanted to know if I had a knife or a pair of scissors with me. She wanted me to cut her ankle band off. She said that she got it in the mail as an advertisement from the church, and "like a fool," put it on her ankle and can't get it off. Then later she said it was an advertisement for a car company that she had gotten in the mail. Nonetheless, I told her that I didn't have a knife or scissors with me. She said that next time I come to bring something so she can cut that "advertisement" off her ankle.

This time she didn't say anything about her car, but she did say that we need to sell her house. She usually says something about needing to leave "here" and go back home, but this time she said she won't need the house any more. It's strange how things seem to change from time to time in her mind.

At least this time there was no crying. That was a relief. It's always so hard to see her upset and crying. Over all, it was a pretty good visit.

She'll be 82 this Thursday. Sue will be picking her up Saturday afternoon and taking her to Sue's house. We're going to have a very low-key party for her. I think too much excitement tends to cause her stress. 

So much has changed since her last birthday, especially in the past four or so months.

Who's The Joke On?

Last night at family night Don was cracking us up telling about his experiences with "Marla the mauler" (as he so aptly named her) at his physical therapy sessions. He was telling how sore he was from doing lunges, and how Marla was about to kill him trying to loosen up his sore muscles. He even described (in graphic detail, I might add) the difficulty he experienced trying to use the toilet with sore legs that won't let him sit from a standing position, or stand from a sitting position.

We talked about lunges a little bit, and Robert showed how to do them. I did about 25-30 sets, and Robert laughed at me and said that in a couple of days I'd regret it. So this morning here's how things went between Robert and me:

  > Text from me: "I can't walk."

  >> Text from Robert: "Where are you?"

  > Text from me: "Home."

Now at this point I was in the process of texting Robert back to tell him that I was just joking about the walking part, but that I was at home. But I was interrupted by a phone call that went something like this:

  > Robert: "Mr. Bo, where are you?"

  >> Me (laughing): "I'm home. Where are..." (interrupted)

  > Robert: "Mr. Bo, what's the matter?"

  >> Me (still laughing): "Nothing. I was joking about the walking part. Where are you?"

  > Robert: "Oh, Mr. Bo! My heart's about to pound through my chest! I thought something was wrong!"

  >> Me (a little serious, now): "Where are you?"

  > Robert: "I'm heading back to the store now. I was on my way to help you."

  >> Me (now crying from laughing so hard): "Robert, I thought you'd catch on that my legs would be sore from those lunges last night!"

  > Robert (now beginning to see the humor): "Oh, Mr. Bo, I didn't even think of that. I thought something was really wrong, and I was coming to help you. Oh, my goodness, Mr. Bo, I was scared!"

  >> Me (now rolling on the floor): "Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I didn't intend for that to happen. I thought you'd know what I was getting at and laugh about it!"

By now we're both having a good laugh. That's terrible that I scared Robert, but it's nice that he was kind enough to leave work immediately to come to my aid.

Was the joke on him, or will the joke be on me tomorrow (with sore legs)?

(not so) Brief Update

The last couple of weeks seem to have been so packed with things to do that I just haven't had time to post anything. Strange thing is, though, I can't remember all the things that have been keeping me busy.

I do know that Lindsay has issues with Plastikia, and we spent quite a bit of time shopping for a car for her. But as it turns out, she decided to fork over the money to get this one fixed rather than be saddled with a car note on a car she doesn't like. She has decided to begin putting money aside each month, just as if she were making a car payment. Then when it does come time that she needs another car, at least she'll have a nice down payment set aside. (Good decision, Lindsay.)

I think I went fishing a couple of times, maybe three, in the past couple of weeks. Robert and I went to Caddo Lake, Cross Lake, and Caney Lake. We did well on Caddo and Cross, but not on Caney. But it was all fun, nonetheless. Robert got a new boat between the Cross Lake and Caney Lake trips, so I think his new boat doesn't know how to catch fish yet. Although he did catch an old ugly bar fish. Maybe his new boat only catches ugly fish.

Work has been hectic. End of year reports and evaluations are always challenging, labor intensive, and quite time consuming. Monday's are bad enough without those thrown into the mix. I know that this past Monday I got to work at 6:45 a.m. and didn't walk out until 10:20 p.m. I did manage to get a short lunch break in, though. I remember one Monday a couple of months ago that I didn't get off until 12:30 Tuesday morning! I almost don't like Mondays.

The last few times we've gone to see Mama haven't been real pleasant. She still seems to cry most of the time. It's not that sobbing kind of crying, but the quiet kind, mostly. It's the sad kind of crying more than the strongly emotional kind of crying. Regardless, it's hard to see her like that. Mama was always an emotionally strong person, not apt to cry. Now it's so different.

Monday morning just before six, Don called me to let me know he and Sue were at the hospital emergency room with Mama. She had been taken to the hospital earlier that morning. Mama usually is up during the night wandering and visiting with the nurse on duty (at the nursing home), but they said that she had not gotten up during the night for that. They checked on her, and she was running some fever and didn't feel like getting up. They called the doctor, and he said get her to the ER. At first they thought she had pneumonia, but later they determined it was bronchitis. They didn't keep her there, but prescribed some meds and sent her back to the nursing home.

Last Thursday night Rusty, Yvonne, and the boy came to be with us for our family night. That was the first time they've made it for family night. I hope they can come again tomorrow night. We always have a lot of fun when all of us get together.

- NOTICE TO ALL FAMILY MEMBERS -

All of you are invited every Thursday evening. We eat, visit, play games, watch TV, joke around a lot, and have just plain old good clean fun! If you're not one of the ones who normally comes, just let us know a little ahead of time that you're coming so we can make sure there will be enough food prepared. Otherwise, you might have to eat Corn Flakes! This is a standing invitation. It has no expiration date.

Along that same line, others are welcome, too. We have some friends who come often, and we enjoy them coming, as well. Let us know ahead of time, though, so you won't have to eat rice cakes if we run out of regular food and Corn Flakes.

I'm taking a day of vacation tomorrow. A young man (L.B.) from Air Service Professionals is coming to replace the coil on the air conditioning system. He said there's a leak somewhere, and it appears to be in the coil. It's only a very slow leak, but my warranty runs out in 2010 on the system, so he said he really should replace it, and then at least that part will be covered a little longer. 

And now for a commercial message: Air Service Professionals is exactly that. Those people who formed the company used to work for another air conditioning and heating company. The one I know best is L.B. He is one super nice and ethical guy. He told me a lot about how they were being pushed to do things that were not right, but would cause that other company to make more money. He said that he just could not in good conscience do what they were wanting him to do. So he and some others formed their own company. This has been several years ago, by the way, but I have been using them for at least five or six years now. They are courteous and professional, and honest. I highly recommend them for any of your heating or air conditioning work you need done.  -- And now back to our program.

I'll leave you with this: Doug said he doesn't exercise, but he can touch his knees without even bending his toes! I think that's great, Doug. Keep up the good work.

Perfectly Honest?

I know it's been a while since I posted. Things have been very busy since Christmas! I'll post more later, but I have to tell you what I heard someone say today.

I was car shopping with Lindsay. Her "Plastikia" has just about given up the ghost, and she's in pretty desperate need of some more dependable transportation.

An automobile salesman said to me, "Let me be perfectly honest with you."  In my humble opinion, that's the perfect example of an oxymoron.

My intent is not to be belittle all salesmen, but for the most part, I've never known an auto salesman to be "perfectly" honest.

That's my opinion.

Christmas with Mama

Sue picked Mama up from the nursing home Christmas morning and took her to Sue's house. We alternate where we have Christmas each year, and this was Sue's year. When we got there Mama was in one of the bedrooms sleeping, or at least resting.

A little while later Jennifer went back to check on her. Mama wanted a cookie, I think, so Jennifer took her one and stayed back there and visited with her for a little while.

When it got pretty close to time to eat, Sue (I think) went back and brought Mama into the living room. We all greeted her, but she seemed a little confused. Then we seated Mama at the table in the dining room, and I went to the kitchen and got some things on a plate for her. She had some ham, dressing with giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli rice casserole, sweet potatoes, and green beans (I think). For desert, I got her some ambrosia and some Oreo cookie desert that Jennifer had made. Mama ate pretty well.

After that, we took her back to the living room and let her sit down on the couch. She cried a lot, and still seemed a little confused. She kept saying that she hated to leave us. We tried to cheer her up by telling her that she's not leaving us, but we're all having to go to our own houses in a little while. We assured her that we'd be seeing her again the next day.

Everyone gave her the gifts that had brought for her, and she seemed to like them.

After a little while, when some of the family began getting ready to leave, we thought it would be best if we get Mama back to the nursing home. Sue, Ginger, and I took her back, and after we got her back into her area, she wanted to know, "What is this place?"

She was greeted ever so sweetly by Janice and Rebecca, two of the nurses who always stay with the residents there. Those two ladies are so kind to Mama and treat her so gently. Janice was leaving (her shift was over), so we kissed Mama good-bye, and while Rebecca kept her occupied, we eased on out.

It was nice that Mama was able to get out of there for a little while, and I think maybe it was good for her in some sort of way. It's always hard leaving her there, but all of us know that she's being cared for all the time.

I wouldn't laugh at you...

Kids can be so funny sometimes... even when they aren't trying to be.

Caleb and Jacob were each playing different games on different computers, and Jacob was having a little problem with his and whining a little bit about it. Caleb, playing his game, found something amusing and laughed a little.

From there, the conversation went something like this:

  > Jacob: "Stop laughing at me!"

  >> Caleb: "I'm not laughing at you."

  > Jacob: "Yes you are. I know you're laughing at me!"

  >> Caleb: "Jacob, you know I wouldn't laugh at you," ...(insert brief pause here... then barely audiblely...) "very much."

Funny!

Who Needs Adrian Monk?

On Christmas Eve night, Melissa, Lindsay, Robert, Jennifer, Brooklyn, and Seth came to the house, and we all exchanged our Christmas gifts. When everyone was getting about ready to leave, Robert seemed to have disappeared, and Ginger noticed it, so she eased over to the window and peeked outside. There he was! Robert was hunkered down plugging in one of the newest additions to the yard. Can you say, busted?

Ginger was trying to get my attention so I'd go look outside and catch him in the act, but she didn't want the rest of the clan to know what was happening. There she was, down on all fours behind the couch laughing so hard that she couldn't even tell me what was going on. I thought she was about to wet her pants the way she was crawling around and laughing so hard.

A minute later Robert showed up and boldly announced that we've been hit again. Little did he know that Ginger had seen him. When Ginger told him that she saw what he was doing, he got that same deer-in-the-headlights look on his face that he had the night before when I caught him riding in front of the house with the "top-hat" thing in the front seat of his truck.

Since the jig was up, Robert decided to go to his house and get one last item that they had planned to use. So here it is... that thing wearing the top-hat! The very one I caught Robert with last night. Yeah, I knew it!

This little fellow is motion activated and sings a little song when someone walks in front of it. 

As it turned out, and as I had figured, I might add, they were all in on it. Eat your heart out, Monk! But what I hadn't expected was that Brooklyn and Seth were in on it as well. And of all people, Robert was the mastermind behind all this! I never would have suspected that. But at least I nailed him the night before, so I knew for sure that he was in on it.

All said and done, it was fun for all of us. It provided a lot of suspense and tons of laughs. 

I wonder when "payback" will happen, and just what it will be? You never know, huh, kiddos?

Did I Catch One of the Guilty Ones?

I kept slipping outside periodically this evening, just to check on the critters. You never know when someone might be out there admiring them close up, if you get my drift.

Well, just a few minutes ago, I opened the door to look, and who should I see easing very slowly down the road right in front of the house but Robert! It could be my imagination, and I won't say for sure, but it appeared that he might have started speeding up when I first stepped outside, then decided to stop. I wouldn't swear to the total accuracy of that in a court of law, but it's somewhere close to accurate in my opinion.

I walked out to Robert's truck, and just to be sure, I looked in the back end to see if there was a lonely critter that was looking for a home. There wasn't one. So I started trying to see inside the back of the cab (it's a full dual cab). Of course I couldn't see inside because it was dark and the windows are tinted. He very eagerly offered to open the back door so I could see inside, so I told him I didn't need to. 

I stood there talking to him for a few minutes, and noticed that he kept leaning quite a bit forward toward the steering wheel. It made it difficult to see past him to the other side of the truck. So I eased forward and peered past him to see what I could see. And what did I see? There it was, a very lonely looking something or other with a black top hat on, best I could tell. It wasn't a "blow up" critter like the rest, but it did look like it could have very well been some sort of yard ornament.

I asked Robert what he had there, and he seemed to be somewhat speechless. I don't think I ever did get a straight answer, but he did say that it wasn't a blow up critter.

We both laughed and laughed, me thinking I've caught him, and him thinking... well, I don't know what. But he surely had a funny look on his face. Was it from guilt or from just not knowing what to think about me thinking he was guilty.

The plot thickens.

P.S. - Just for the record, I was compelled to take those hideous ghetto-fabulous tacky decorations off the tree this morning before I went to work. As Ashley said, and I totally agree with her, "It looked like a pitiful Charlie Brown tree. Actually not even that good."

She Was Upset Today

Sue called this morning to tell me that the nursing home was supposed to have some kind of a little Christmas party today at 10:00 a.m., just in case I could make it. So I put my work aside for a while shortly before 10 and headed over there.

Doug wasn't able to make it, but Sue, Don, and Leigh Ann were already there when I got there, and Mama looked like she'd been crying. As it turned out, she was upset because she didn't like it there, and she wanted to go home. That's so sad, and it's hard to handle, because there's no way she can go home. She wanted to know why she's there, and we told her that the doctor said that's where she needs to be. She said she can take care of herself, and she doesn't need to be there. She has absolutely no concept of reality when it comes to her ability to care for herself. 

She ate a couple of little Hershey's Kisses candy, and that seemed to take a little bit of the edge off while she was busy with those. But then she started back again.

It seems that Santa was supposed to show up, but I think it was supposed to be 2 o'clock instead of 10 o'clock. It would have been a relief for him to show up to see if Mama would get into a different frame of mind.

After visiting for a while, and realizing that she was going to continue to be upset, we decided it was time to leave. A speech therapist told us that Mama is generally easy to cheer up, so while we were leaving, the therapist was leading Mama by the hand away from where we were. I do hope that she was able to make Mama happier.

It simply wasn't a good visit today.

A Vortex for Critters!

I thought we had it made Sunday night. Nothing new appeared in our yard. Au contrair! Not so fast! Ginger looked outside early this morning and darned if someone hadn't strung some decorations on a small tree in the front yard. Melissa said our yard is looking "amazingly tacky," and Lindsay said it's the "most hideous thing" she's ever seen.

Well, I hate to complain, but it does look quite sick. But, someone's having fun (aren't they, kids!) at our expense, so I figure I'll let them enjoy themselves.

Now if that wasn't enough, Lindsay came over this evening for a visit. She said she and Sayid wanted to run a little bit in our neighborhood. Now that sounds a little strange to me, but listen to the rest of the story. Next, Melissa came over for a while. Ginger brought some po-boys home from Ray's Pee Gee, and that worked out real well as a good excuse. Then by chance (yeah, right) Robert and Jennifer came over. Imagine that. All of them here at the same time, and to my knowledge all was well on the home front. No new strangers had decided to camp out in the yard.

Well, after we all visited for a while, Melissa had to leave first. I usually walk outside with any of them when they leave, but strangely enough, I didn't walk out with Melissa this time. (Convenient, huh, Melissa.)

It was just a little while after that and I thought to myself, "I wonder if anything is going on outside?" So I looked in the front yard, and there it was! Another one! This time it was a snowman standing beside the teddy bear.

Now the way I have it figured is that they all cooked this up. They figured they'd all come down at the same time, then the new addition would show up, and they'd all have a good excuse by being here the whole time. Well, no one knew Melissa was here until she came inside. So she could have added Mr. Snowman just before she came inside. Or, since I didn't walk outside with her, she could just as easily have put him up before she left.

One other possibility is that they've enlisted some help. It could be that someone else slipped into the yard while they all had us preoccupied with so much visiting going on. But you can't fool me. I know they're all in on it somehow. 

Remember... PAYBACK!

She Wanted to Sleep

Ginger and I tried to visit with Mama this afternoon. She was asleep in her bed. We were able to wake her up enough that she knew who we were, but she said she wanted to sleep right now and visit later.

She said she was cold, so we pulled her covers over her a little better, and I adjusted the heat in her room up just a little warmer.

We gave her a kiss and told her we'd see her another time.

This is so uncharacteristic of the way she was before Alzheimer's stole her away.

Sad.

Payback Is Coming!

Tonight Ginger and I went shopping at the mall with Robert and Jennifer, then went for a late dinner at Kyoto's.

It was all fun, except the mall part. Malls and I don't get along. And to prove it, as we were walking past one of those little booths out in the middle, some girl came running up to me with something in her hand. I thought she was going to hit me with it! But she had one of those things that you heat up (and it stinks) and strap around you for sore muscles. She laid it across my shoulders and asked me if that felt good. Ginger told her that she had already bought one from them the other day. The girl said that she remembered her, so she let us alone.

Anyway, after that came the fun part. Kyoto's was very busy, and we were going to have to wait about 35 minutes to be seated. They told us that we could sit at the sushi bar if we wanted to instead of waiting that long for a table. We did, and we could see them making all the sushi. It was fun seeing them do that. We were able to order our sushi, and were served immediately. There was one drawback to sitting there, however. I haven't mastered the art of using chop sticks yet, and that's what they expect you to use. I knew that, so I went prepared. I took a rubber band with me so I could fix my chop sticks like they do for little kids. Well, I couldn't do it. It was too well lighted at the sushi bar, and I was afraid someone would see me with my "kid chop sticks." So I just struggled through it without dropping too much of it.

When we got home, what did my wondering eyes behold but another addition to the collection of amazing critters that are guarding our house this Christmas. Sitting there with his big red Santa hat was a light brown teddy bear bearing a gift. (It must be for Ginger.)

We've been suspecting all along that Jennifer has been doing this, but we were with her tonight, so she couldn't have done it this time. But that's not to say that she wasn't in on some of it at the beginning. That leaves Melissa and Lindsay. I know that both of them have to be in on it as well, and one of them (or both) probably brought the teddy bear tonight.

Okay, kids. Remember what they say about payback!

They Invited Santa!

Now Santa has joined the group! Will Rudolph and his team be next? (See two posts down, dated Thursday, Dec. 18, titled The Phantom Decorator.

A Real Good Visit

I had a real good visit with Mama today. When I got there she was eating her lunch. I walked over to her table and knelt down beside her. She didn't notice that I was there, so I tapped her on her shoulder and told her hello. She looked at me, smiled, and said, "Hi, honey."

We visited for almost an hour while she ate. She had fried fish, cornbread, french fries, green beans, lemon cake, tea, and water. She ate everything but the green beans. I don't blame her for that. They looked awful. She said they didn't taste good.

She laughed a lot and tried to kid a little bit. 

Sue had told me that she told Mama about a little black puppy that appeared on their patio, and some of the details about it. Mama recalled all of those details, and even started the conversation about the puppy.

She also remembered that Melissa was going to the Philippines. (She thought Melissa and Lindsay were going, though.) She asked when Melissa was going, and we talked about that for a while. She seemed quite impressed that Melissa would have a layover in Hong Kong.

We also had just about the same conversation we've had before about her car. She asked where her car was, and I told her it was at my house. I don't even try to remind her that I bought her car from her a couple of years or so ago. She wanted to know if I drive it every now and then, and I told her I did. She said that she couldn't remember where she parked it. Then a few minutes later she said that she wouldn't mind having a car. She said that she wouldn't drive it very much, but she thought she might like to have one anyway.

I asked if she'd seen Sue or Doug lately, as I always do. She said, "Not Doug." So I asked when she saw Sue, and she said she thought it was a couple of days ago. She didn't remember that Sue was with her yesterday for her doctor's appointment. I did mention to her that I heard that she had a real good checkup at the doctor's office, and she said, "Yes, I did. I gained four pounds, and now I weigh 122 pounds." I told her that she was becoming a regular heavyweight. She laughed.

After she finished eating her lunch, I asked her if she wanted to go walk outside on the deck for a few minutes. She did, so out we went. We made one round around the perimeter, and she examined all the plants that were out there. She had to reach and touch each of them, and try to remember the name of the plant. She didn't have much luck with that part, though. It was a warm day, but as soon as a little breeze came through, she said she was getting a little cool. So we went back inside.

I had to leave, so after I kissed Mama good-bye, Janice, one of the nice nurses there, got Mama's attention while I signed out and left.

I'm glad that she was having a good day. I wish they could all be this good.

The Phantom Decorator

Someone had a lot of fun! It all started on Tuesday night. Ginger and I had gone to a Credit Union dinner, and we were pretty late getting away from there. Then we had to make one of our favorite stops (NOT!) at Wal-Mart. So it was really late by the time we got home. Well, there to greet us was a friendly polar bear, smiling, waving, and holding a candy cane, I suppose as a peace offering.

We laughed about it and wondered who in the world did that. We suspected Jennifer, but she denied any knowledge of it. I talked to Melissa about it, trying to pick her brain about who would be doing that. She said she didn't know anything about it, but thought it was pretty funny.

Then we thought that maybe our friends, the Kennedys, a couple of houses down, might be doing it. We cooked up a scheme to slip down there late at night and put it up in their yard. Wow, would they be surprised to learn that we figured out who put him in our yard, and returned the favor! Well, we didn't do it that night, but I kept that thought in my mind.

Well, as if that wasn't enough, Ginger went out about 11:00 p.m. Wednesday to unplug the little critter for the night and found that he had summoned a friend to keep him company. There sitting beside the polar bear was a fat little penguin with a big red Santa hat!

We both cracked up and really wondered who was doing that! Again, we suspected Jennifer (or maybe the Kennedys). I texted Jennifer about it, but again, she denied having anything to do with it. We put them to bed for the night.

At 5:00 a.m. today (Thursday) Robert and I headed to Shreveport to fish on Caddo Lake. When we left the house, both critters were all crumpled up on the ground, totally deflated and sound asleep. After a tiring day of fishing (got to bed after midnight and up at 4:30 a.m.), Robert was dropping me off at the house, and we were discussing the little critters who mysteriously appeared. Well, now a little light was being shed on the mystery. Someone strung large candy canes and lights in front of the house.

I don't remember what I said, but I know my eyes were bugging out of my head! And there sat Robert with a sheepish grin all over his face!

Ginger had been at school all day, and I had been with Robert all day, so what better time for someone to come and add a little more to the mystery. I knew it had to be Jennifer. After all, Melissa and Lindsay were at work all day, and Jennifer and Robert live just down the street, so it would be very convenient for Jennifer to do that.

I asked Robert if Jennifer was the guilty party. He just grinned and said, "Mr. Bo, I've never told you a story before, so don't make me tell you one now." Aha! That gave it away! I picked as much as I could without making him flat out tell me it was Jennifer, and I figured that Melissa and Lindsay were in on it as well.

I remembered that yesterday Lindsay texted me asking if Ginger and I would be at church that night (Wednesday). I texted her back and said we probably would, and asked why she wanted to know that. I never did get a reply that question. So this afternoon I talked to her and asked her why she wanted to know about whether or not we'd be gone Wednesday night. She said, "Oh, I was just wondering." That did it -- dead giveaway! So I questioned her about it, and she started laughing... you know... that kind of "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" thing. She never did admit to being in on it, but I know.

And tonight, just a few minutes ago, I heard a dog barking outside. It sounded just like Sayid. So, figuring someone was up to no good, I ran to the door and turned on the porch light. Then I went outside and there was Melissa and Sayid. But they were still in her car. Sayid was barking at the polar bear and penguin. I asked Melissa what kind of nonsense she was about to be up to now, and she just laughed that same kind of laugh Lindsay laughed. Again... dead giveaway!

I know what this is all about. We've been slow in getting our Christmas decorations up this year. (Kidney stone business has kept me down for a couple of weeks.) So they thought they'd help out by doing all that, and have fun doing it at the same time.

Thank you Jennifer, Melissa, and Lindsay. I have to admit, it was funny.

Credit Union Christmas Dinner

Yesterday evening after our board meeting, the board members and spouses were treated to a real nice dinner at The Brandy House, a restaurant at the Atrium Hotel.

There were 12 of us, and they had reserved a room for us. The tables were set up in a large "U" shape, with everyone sitting around the outside of the tables. It was quite spread out, and we figured we'd have to be shouting across the room, so we took it upon ourselves to rearrange the seating. We ended up just having about two long tables end-to-end, and all of us sitting on both sides of the tables. It was a lot cozier that way, and less formal.

We started out ordering some appetizers, and while we were waiting for those, the server brought warm wash cloths and used tongs to serve one to each of us. I thought it was to use after while to wipe our hands on, but come to find out, it's a fancy place and they want you to wash your hands now. They seemed to have a slight lemon scent. Anyway, we all washed our hands. Was that a lesson in etiquette for me?

The appetizers were good, and when we finished those, we were brought a small little long stem kind of glass with a tiny scoop of lime sorbet and a little bitty spoon to eat it with. That was to "cleanse our pallet." (More etiquette lessons.)

Then came the salads and rolls. The salad was very good and very good looking, too, if that counts for anything. It was all arranged very nicely on the plate. The rolls were delicious, too.

For our entree, Ginger and I both ordered the Grilled Ahi Tuna and twice baked potato. I also had some steamed butter/garlic asparagus, and Ginger had a vegetable medley.

Most people don't like to try grilled tuna steak. It's not as bad as it sounds. If it's cooked right, it is very delicious. I think the key is to have it cooked rare, or medium rare. Medium is getting a little out of range for a good flavor. If you don't like the pink look of the meat, go to a dark restaurant. This tuna steak was equally as good as the tuna steak I've had at Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant, which is Ginger's favorite restaurant.

After the main course, we ordered dessert. They had plenty to choose from. Ginger and I shared a serving of Bananas Foster. About three or four of us ordered that, and the server prepared it right in front of us... flaming saucepan and all! Impressive! And delicious! That was the first time I'd ever had Bananas Foster. I didn't realize they used rum and banana liqueur in it. But it looked like all that was all consumed by the fire! Good stuff, and it was served over vanilla bean ice cream. The food was delicious, and we all had a good time.

Sad about Spooky

After lunch today Melissa, Lindsay, Ginger, and I went to visit Mama for a little while. As I was signing all of us in, Melissa and Lindsay walked down to her room. She was up combing her hair, so they all walked back to the visiting area.

Janice, a real sweet nurse, told us that we could go into the family room and visit in there, so we did.

Mama seemed to be aware of who all was there visiting her, and she was able to carry on some conversation.

She was concerned that the closet where her clothes are is locked, and she asked me if I "bought" a key when I got there so she could open her closet. We assured her that "they" would let her get into the closet when she needed to if she wanted to change clothes.

She said that she dreamed about "Spooky," one of her cats, but when she awakened she realized that Spooky was dead. She was upset about that and cried some.

She asked me if I'd seen "Mama" lately. Not knowing exactly what to say, because I didn't know which "Mama" she was referring to, I just told her that it's been a while since I'd seen her.

Right after that she asked me where Ginger was. Ginger was sitting right there next to her on the couch. For some reason she seemed not to recognize Ginger. Then she said something about Ginger's hair, either that it was longer or she had gotten it cut, but I don't remember. 

The saddest part of it all was that she knows that she's not at home, and she said that she wants to go home. I don't think that she realizes all the time that she's not home. I think she has periods of time that she's actually more aware of reality than at other times.

She asked Ginger if she were going shopping, and said that she needs a couple more pants and shirts. She said she wants black or navy blue pants, and she wants long sleeve white shirts that button up the front. Sue told us the other day that Mama has plenty of clothes there, but I imagine Ginger and/or the girls will pick up something for her anyway.

Her head was hurting some, and she said that she hadn't eaten lunch yet, but I know that she actually had eaten. I asked Janice if there was something that she could give Mama for her headache, and I also told her that Mama was hungry. Janice gave Mama a couple of Tylenol, and Sue had brought a little bag of chocolate candy for Mama, so Janice gave her a couple of miniature chocolate bars to munch on. Mama loves sweets, and she wasted no time in eating that candy.

After we visited a little while longer, we needed to leave, so we walked her to her room, then she walked back to the "commons area" with us. As the four of us were walking down the hall to leave, she called my name, so I went back to see what she wanted. She wanted me to get a key to her closet so she could change clothes. There was an aide standing there, so I told her that if she wanted to change clothes the aide would go with her and open the closet. So, they headed for Mama's room, and the four of us left.

It's depressing enough for us to see her in this condition. I can't imagine what she must feel during those few moments when she seems to be aware of her surroundings. Maybe Alzheimer's has a bit of mercy on it's victims by stealing reality from them most of the time. I just don't know.

In Her Recliner

I visited Mama about 12:30 p.m. yesterday. One of the aides told me as soon as I walked in that Mama was in the family room sitting in a recliner.

I walked in and saw her there sleeping in the recliner, all laid back and looking quite comfortable. I talked gently to her so I wouldn't startle her as I tried to awaken her. She never opened her eyes, but we had a little bit of conversation. 

She said that she was tired because she hadn't slept very well the night before, but she didn't know why she had trouble sleeping.

There was a Christmas tree in the family room. I told her it was a pretty tree and asked if she helped decorate it. She said, "No, I bought it just like that." 

I mentioned how cold it was outside, and how the wind was blowing so much, but she wasn't too interested in talking much at all. 

She did ask me what time it was. When I told her it was 12:40 she started trying to get out of the recliner. I asked her where she was going, and she said, "I've got to get up and get my clothes on." I told her that she already has her clothes on. Then she said that she's cold. So I asked if she wanted to get up and walk a little. Maybe that would help warm her up. She didn't want to walk.

After a few minutes, Rebecca, one of the nurses who oversees the patients, came in to say hello. She said that Mama was falling asleep while she was trying to eat her lunch, and "they" told her that Mama was up all night long, and that's probably why she's so sleepy.

I asked her if she'd seen Sue or Doug lately, and she said yes. I asked who she saw, and she said, "Different ones." 

I told her that the day before was Doug's birthday, but she didn't say anything. So I asked her if she knew that, and she said she didn't remember. I told her that I had talked to Doug a little while ago, and that Doug said he'd try to get up and visit her later in the day. 

I asked her if she knew who I was, and she did, even thought she never opened her eyes the entire time I was there.

She only wanted to rest, so I told her I'd go. She said that she's glad I came, and to come again. 

I know it's good not to see her crying all the time like she used to do, and I think it's because they have her on so much medication, but I really do wish that she could be a little more responsive and maybe a little more aware of what's going on. But I guess if she were more aware of what's going on she would be more depressed and begin crying.

It's a strange situation.

It's Been a Week

I think last Sunday was the last day that I saw Mama before today's visit. Monday and Tuesday were very busy, as they always are, and Wednesday I had some kidney stone business that needed some attention. That kept me down for the rest of the week. Today was the first day that I actually felt up to getting out and about.

After church this morning, Ginger and I went to see her. The nurse told us that Doug had been there a little earlier.

Mama was lying in her bed, and she appeared to be asleep. We told her hello, and she opened her eyes a little and talked with us. She seemed to comprehend everything, and she gave good reasonable answers to our questions. She looked and Ginger and said, "Is that Ginger?" She asked about the girls, and remembered that Melissa and Lindsay had a dog named Sayid. 

She remembered that she had eaten lunch, and what she had. She said she was hoping they would have banana pudding, but they didn't. Ginger said that she'll make some and take it to her. Mama said that that would be nice.

She seemed pretty drowsy, and she didn't even open her eyes any more, so after a little while we told her we'd go and let her rest. She thanked us for coming.

This is so sad to see her like this all the time.

Go for it, Doug!

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Go for it, Doug! 

No title. Just an entry.

Ginger and I visited Mama today after church. When we got there she was sitting in one of the chairs lined up along the wall. It looked like all the other residents were doing the same thing. Mama had her head down and appeared to be sleeping.

I tapped her on the shoulder, but she didn't respond. I reached down and held her hand and asked her if she were asleep. She said that she was sleepy. 

We asked her if she wanted to walk with us a little bit, but she said no. She said she was too tired. Then she said she needed to wake up, so we told her to walk with us and she'd wake up. So we walked toward the end of the hall, but as we got just past her room, she said she wanted to go to her room and lie down. We walked to the end of the hall then back to her room, and she climbed into her bed. 

She was able to carry on a little bit of a conversation, but not much of one.

I talked to Sue this afternoon, and she said that she had been to see Mama as well. She also said that she had talked to Doug, and he said that he had been there a couple of times today, but Mama was asleep both times.

Sue said that Mama was able to carry on a reasonable conversation for a while, then she would say something completely irrational. She remembered that Sue and Don had been in New Orleans, and she asked how Don, Leigh Ann, and Carol (the cat) were. It's amazing that she has the ability at times to think clearly and logically, but at other times it seems that the dots just don't connect.

It's sad to think that this is how she will be from now on. She always had such a sharp mind, and was so compassionate and thoughtful. Now she won't have the opportunity to let others see her as she was.

Thanksgiving Day

Ginger, Melissa, Lindsay, and I went to visit Mama today. She was lying on her bed dozing. We tried to talk to her, but she wasn't very responsive. She did know who we were, and she did talk a little, but mostly in response to questions we would ask or statements we would make.

She remembered that she had already eaten breakfast and lunch. I asked her if she had turkey, and she said yes. We also asked her if she had dressing and cranberry sauce, and she said, "Cranberry jelly." She said it was all good.

She didn't want to get up and walk any, and said that she just wanted to lie there and rest, so we told her good-bye and gave her kisses. As we were leaving she told us to come back later. I told her we'd see her another time.

On a more upbeat note, Ginger, Melissa, and Lindsay have been busy preparing all the usual stuff for Thanksgiving. I know there's a turkey in there, some of Ginger's famous dressing, some broccoli rice casserole that Lindsay and Melissa made, some sweet potato dip (that I've never had before but is delicious), some green beans, olives, cranberry sauce, rolls, iced tea, and whatever else is in there that I can't remember. Oh, yes, Joyce brought some deviled eggs and something else in a covered container, but I don't know what it is... but I'll find out pretty soon! And as usual, Lindsay, Melissa, and I have already been hitting the black olives pretty hard! I love black olives!

Joyce is here with us, because Robert, Jennifer, Brooklyn, and Seth all went to Natchez late yesterday to spend Thanksgiving with Robert's family. We're glad Joyce could be here. Robert (and family) should be back some time later this evening.

I've got some oil changing chores to do later. All four vehicles need that done. Melissa's is first on the list, because her car uses oil, and it's probably pretty low anyway. Ginger's is next because she, Pat, Melissa, and Lindsay are all going to Shreveport tomorrow for something. Then Lindsay's, then mine.

Busy day still ahead!

Sushi

Tonight Melissa treated Lindsay, Josh, Robert, Ginger, and me to sushi at Kyoto Japanese Sushi Bar. She's been after us for a couple of months to go, but the time never had been right up until tonight.

Robert had come by the house just as we were getting ready to leave, so Melissa asked him to go with us. He was about to go to Natchez. Jennifer, Brooklyn, and Seth were already in Natchez, but Robert couldn't pass up a chance to go to Kyoto's. We all had a fun time eating and visiting.

On the way there Ginger kept saying that she doesn't like sushi very much, and she's definitely not going to eat anything raw, but guess what. She liked sushi a lot and ate something raw!

Melissa and Lindsay picked out what to order. It's a good thing I didn't order! I would have had absolutely no idea. But it was all good. I think we had about four different kinds of sushi, but the best to me was the "Crazy Maki", or something like that. I can't remember exactly what it was called.

I had a hard time eating with those chop sticks, and they didn't have any forks. I was wishing I had a rubber band so I could fix them like they do for little kids. Next time I'll take either a fork or a rubber band with me.

What About Those Clothes?

Doug and I went this afternoon to visit Mama. She was at one of the tables in the “commons area” with her head down on her folded arms on the table. There were about three other ladies sitting there at the table with her.

Doug was on one side of her, and I was on the other, as we told her hello. She looked up first at me, and I think she asked, “Are you Bo?”

She was preoccupied with clothing for some reason. She wanted to know if I bought those clothes that someone hung outside the front door. She said, “It’s this color”, rubbing my shirt. I told her that I didn’t do it, and she insisted that I go talk to “those people over there, because they’re checking it out.”

So far, she hadn’t recognized that Doug was there, so I asked her if she knew who else was there. She said, “No.” I told her to look “right over there,” and she looked at Doug. He spoke to her, and she said, “Are you Don?” Doug said he wasn’t Don, and she asked him who he was. He said, “Doug,” and she answered, “Oh.”

Then she got immediately back on the clothing business. She said, “I wish y’all hadn’t bought any pants. Where’d you put them when you bought them?” Just to go along with her, I told her that mine are in the washing machine. She wanted to know where Doug’s were. I said that Doug was wearing his. Trying to lighten up the conversation a bit, Doug told her that he only had one pair. Then she said that she wishes we hadn’t bought any, because this is a bad time. Doug told her that he didn’t buy his today, because he didn’t have any money. At this point I tried to get her off the subject by asking if she wanted to go for a walk, but she ignored that. She asked me if I had any money I could give Doug to pay for the pants. She said she had a little money she could give Doug, then she answered my question about going on a walk. She didn’t want to go for a walk, because she was scared. I never could get her to tell me why she was scared.

Back on the clothing business, she asked, “Do you have any money left over from the purchases?” I told her I did, and she said that I’d probably “have to pay them now.” I asked her who I’d have to pay, and she said, “The people here.” She insisted that Doug and I both go talk to the “two of them sitting down over there,” meaning the desk nurse and whomever else was at that desk with her. I asked her what I’d be talking to them about, and she said to ask them if “these” are what they’re looking for (meaning my clothes, I guess), and “Do you have your ticket?”

I tried to offer her a wintergreen mint that Doug had given me, and she said that she was scared to, because she thought “they” would get her. I finally convinced her to take it.

Then, back on the clothes business again. She was adamant about Doug and me going over to the desk to explain about “those clothes.” Then she said, “And if you want me to, I’ll call Mama and tell her to bring some clothes over here, or bring some money for clothes.” Then she said, “I don’t know her number. What is her number?” I asked whose number she wanted. She said, “Mama’s.” I told her that I didn’t know the number, so she asked, “Doug, what is Mama’s number?” Doug told her he couldn’t remember numbers.

Again, trying to get her off that subject, I asked her if she ate lunch yet. (It was nearly 3:00 p.m., so I know she had.) She said, “No, I haven’t had anything today but worry.” At this point, one of the ladies at the table spoke up and said that yes, she did have lunch today. Mama was quite emphatic in saying, “NO, I HAVE NOT HAD LUNCH!” I asked her if she were hungry, and she said she wasn’t.

I told her that when we came in she had her head down on the table, and I asked her if she had been sleeping. She said, “I’m ashamed and I’m scared.” I told her she didn’t have anything to be ashamed or worried about, and she said, “No, but y’all have put these clothes on and don’t have ticket for them.” I told her that we don’t need tickets for these clothes, and she said, “Well, go do something to pay for them.”

I tried to get her to walk up and down the hall with us, but she couldn’t get that “clothes” business off her mind. She said, “Do everything you can to come out of them.” I asked her if she meant to come out of the clothes, and she said, “Yes. They’re too expensive, and they don’t believe in people buying expensive clothes.”

She insisted that I go up to the desk and get it settled, so since we hadn’t signed the visitor log book yet, I went to the desk and signed Doug and myself in. That gave her the appearance that I was tending to some sort of business at the desk, so when I got back to her table I told her that everything was okay now. She wanted to know if it was accepted, and I told her everything was good now. “What’s good?” she asked. I told her that the “clothes” business was good. Then she wanted me to go back up there and “listen around” a little bit to see what I could hear. By that time the nurse left the desk, so that made it appear that things were good.

Then she told us that she’s scared, and that we need to get through with what we’re doing so we don’t have to be scared. We assured her that we weren’t scared and that she has nothing to be scared of.

Doug had his hands in his jacket pockets, so Mama wanted to know what was in his pockets. “My hands,” he told her. “Well, take them out!” Mama said.

Then she said that she feels sick like she’s going to throw up. She started getting out of her chair. As we walked her back to her room, she said, “Well, what are you going to tell them, Bo?” I told her that I wasn’t going to tell them anything, that everything was okay.

When we got to her room, she just wanted to lie down. I asked her if she still needed to throw up, and she said, “I will, in time.”

She got on her bed, and I took her shoes off for her. She said for us to get through with what we have to do. We told her we just came to visit, and she said, “Well, cut them short, and get through with what you have to do.”

She was thirsty, so after I gave her some water she said, “Hurry.” I said we’re hurrying, and she said, “Right now! Now go.” I asked her if she wanted us to leave, and she said that she didn’t want us to leave, but if we don’t leave, they will look at what we’re wearing and think we stole them. I told her that these were our clothes we were wearing, and she said, “Well, go straighten it out before they do.”

With that, we started to leave, but she asked, “Do you have a quick way to get Mama’s phone number?” All I could tell her was that I didn’t have it with me, and that seemed to satisfy her.

This visit left me wondering if something had been said about whose clothes she might be wearing. I don’t know which clothes are hers versus anyone else’s clothes. Sue has told me on different occasions that Mama’s been wearing someone else’s clothes from time to time. I think most of the residents do that. They see something and put it on, just like when they want to go rest… they simply find an empty bed and climb in.

I also wonder about who she has in mind when she keeps referring to “Mama.” I’m almost convinced she thinks Sue is her mother.

It absolutely amazes me how far Mama has regressed since those three or four months ago when she first checked into the assisted living facility. There’s been such a drastic change.

I wonder if there will ever be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Not that it will come in time for Mama to benefit from it, but it’s such a tragedy to see anyone fall victim to such an evil thief.

Short Visit

Ginger and I visited her for a little while today after church, but she didn't want to do much visiting. She said she didn't feel well because she had bad dreams all night. All she wanted to do was sleep.

At one point she looked at Ginger and said, "Beth." Then she said, "Is everything okay? Will you keep in touch with Sue. I don't know what her new number is. She got a new number when we moved over here." Then she wanted to know if I could find her number. 

She kept licking her lips, like she had a dry mouth. I asked her if she wanted me to get her some water, but she said, "No, I have some fluid." I never did see a glass of water or anything, but she didn't want me to get her anything.

I tried to persuade her to get up and walk a little bit, but she said she was too sleepy. So after a few minutes we kissed her good-bye and let her sleep.

Sayid Graduated!

Monday night was an exciting time for Sayid's family. He graduated from puppy training! He learned how to sit, stay, heel, come, run through a tunnel, and walk a sloping board. Oh, yes... I almost forgot. He also learned how to "Bark for the Saints!" on command. 

Ginger and I met Melissa, Lindsay, and Sayid at the "school" where all the puppy students would be graduating. I think there were seven or eight in Sayid's class.

Sayid enjoying a neck rub as he intently

watches other puppies show off what they

learned. Sayid loves to try to sit in laps!

"It's my turn next? Really?

Oh, goody, goody, goody!"

"Look at me! I graduated!"

Sayid is the only one who gave a speech. He barked for the Saints!

Fun time!

She Wasn't Having a Good Day

She was lying down on her bed when I got there, but she wasn’t asleep. I asked her how she was, and she said, “Not long for this world.” I asked her why she would say something like that, and she said that she knows how she feels. Then she asked me if I had breakfast. (It was about 12:30 p.m.) I told her that I did, and asked her if she had breakfast. She said she had eggs, toast, and jelly on the toast.

She asked me where I was headed, and I told her that I had been at work, but I wanted to come by and see her for a bit. I asked her what she’s been doing, and she said she’s been making up the bed. (It was made up, and very neat. She was just lying on top of it.)

I asked her if she’d had lunch yet, and she said she had peas for breakfast, but they weren’t good. They tasted sour.

She didn’t want to get up and do any walking. I asked her if she were tired, and she said, “I guess I’m tired. I don’t really know what I am.” Then she began to cry a little. 

To try to get her on a better subject, I asked her if she’d seen Sue or Doug lately. She said, “Not today,” then immediately followed that up with, “I love you all so much.” I assured her that we all loved her, too. 

For the whole visit, she kept telling me how much she loves and adores every one of us, and wished that we were all still small children so she could have us with her longer.

She said that something happened a couple of nights ago… “I heard something pop in my head, kinda like a rubber band broke.” I tried to assure her that she was okay, and that she probably felt (and heard) an ear “pop”, or maybe a bone pop, like a knuckle pops. 

Still crying, she said, “I won’t be here tomorrow.” All the reassurance I could give her didn’t do any good. She’s still convinced that she’s going to die before tomorrow.

Then she started telling me again, as she’s done in the past, to take her car and see what it’s worth, sell it, and divide the money among the three of us. I told her that there’s no need to think about any of that, and that the car is at my house right now. She said, “Well, it’s an ugly car.” I found that to be humorous. 

I told her that I’d talked to Doug a little while ago. She asked how he was, and I told her he was fine. I also told her that Doug told me that he’d been by to see her yesterday, or maybe the day before. She said she didn’t remember him being there. (Doug told me that she said I was dead, and wanted him to call the funeral home and they’d confirm it.) 

I tried to get her in a better frame of mind, so I started telling her about Melissa’s and Lindsay’s dog, Sayid, graduating from puppy training yesterday. I told her that Sayid had to show everyone what he had learned, and how funny he was. She managed a, “He’s pretty smart.”

When I asked her about Sue, she said she saw her yesterday. She said that she had an appointment with Dr. W., and she and Sue went there. Then she said, “But I was ugly to her.” I asked her why she was ugly to her, and she said she thought she just wasn’t in a good mood. She said she knows she hurt Sue’s feelings, and cried some more, and said, “Sue has always lived the world for me, all of you have.” Then she said that she’s “so ashamed that I haven’t been good about it.” I tried to reassure her that she has always been good to us. I wanted to get her off that line of thought, and on to something more upbeat. It never did work, and she said, “I'll be in a better place.” I tried to tell her that she’s in very good health, and that she’ll be around for a long time, but I couldn’t break her thought pattern.

The nurse came in to give her some medicine, but she said, “It won’t do any good, so there’s no need to waste it.” The nurse told her that it would make her feel better. She said, “I don’t feel that bad, but something popped night before last in my head, I heard it snap, and it was just a story to tell me that I was going to be going somewhere.”

After she took her medicine I asked her if she wanted to get up and walk a little bit. She didn’t. So I asked her if she wanted to lay back down, and she said, “I’ll be laying down for a l-o-o-o-n-g time.” Again, I tried to give her some reassurance, but she wouldn’t accept it. She said, “I really didn’t want to go away yet, I wanted to be with you all longer.” Again, I tried to tell her that she’s not going anywhere, that she’s fine. She said she didn’t want to play a game, she knows what’s going to happen. Then she said for me to be sweet to Sue, that “…she’s worked her little tail off doing for me all these years.” 

She asked about the "kittens", and said that she had wanted to get a kitten and a puppy, but she’s glad she didn’t now. 

Then she got right back on that sad line of thinking and said, “I’m just concerned about how Mama’s gonna be when the time comes. I don’t want Mama to get worried and upset and everything, so don’t let her have a hard time.” (I think she was referring to Sue.)  “I don’t want to go away right now.”

She said that if I ever have memorials that I want to put somewhere, do not put them in this building on doors. She said that last night it took her an hour to get everything straight. I asked her what she was referring to, and she said there were three women telling her what to do. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, “Putting up memorials.” 

I asked her if she wanted to walk with me before I left, and she said she’s embarrassed to walk. I asked her why, and she said, “Because I look like a pin-head.” I finally convinced her to get up and walk with me. She said she’d walk with me because it’s the last walk she’ll have. (Where is all that coming from?)

She asked me if I ever hear from Daddy. I told her that I didn’t, and she said I’d probably hear from him soon. And if I do, “Tell him I’m sending him a message of love, because I love him so much.” To be sure we were on the same page, I asked her if she were talking about my Daddy, and she said yes. I just let that go.

Then she began telling me again how much she loves the three of us, Ginger and the children, Don and their children, and Doug’s children. “Everybody is so perfect,” she said. “And I don’t want to go and not remember them.” I told her she’s not going anywhere, and she said, “Honey, you can’t fool me. I know what’s going to happen.” 

I needed to go, but she didn’t want to sit down in the “commons area”, so I asked her if she wanted to go back and lay down. “I might as well, that’s all I’ll be able to do today.”

She said that she hates that she’s going to hurt us, and she’s petrified about hurting Sue’s feelings, because she’s been so wonderful to her.

I wish there were some way I could get inside her mind and erase all the sorrow she has.

I left her with a kiss.

She Seemed Calm and Peaceful

I got there about 12:30 p.m. today, and one of the nurses said that she was asleep in one of the beds in the first room on the right. When I walked in, an aide was waking her up so she could visit with me. She was drowsy, but she was able to carry on a conversation.

She thought it had been raining today, but it hadn’t. She also couldn’t remember if she had eaten breakfast or lunch, but she said she wasn’t hungry. When I was asking her whether or not she had eaten, she answered, “No, sir.” I wondered if she knew who I was.

I asked her if she had seen “Sue or anybody” lately. She said Sue came over during the night to put new pants on over her feet. Then I asked her whether or not she had seen Doug or Bo. She said she didn’t see them during the night. So I asked her if she’d seen either of them lately, and she said she’s seen both of them, but she hasn’t seen them “tonight.” So I asked her who I was, and she said I was Doug. I told her I was Bo, and she said she thought I was joking with her. When I asked her if she thought I would joke with her, she said, “Yes, sir.” 

I asked her if she’d been up at all today, maybe for exercises, or breakfast, or lunch. She said she couldn’t remember. I knew she had, because her hair had been combed, and she was completely dressed and had a sweater on. 

She said she was cold, so I pulled the covers up over her back and shoulders a little better, and I asked her if that was better. “Yes, sir.” 

Trying to stimulate more conversation, I asked her if she’d seen Don or Leigh Ann lately. She said, “He was with Sue yesterday when I picked them up.” I asked her what they were doing, and she said, “They were checking up the cold.” I repeated that, but in the form of a question, and she said, “Yes, sir.” What about Leigh Ann? “She was asleep.”

After a few more minutes I started getting ready to leave, because I had to get back to the office. I asked her if she knew who I was, and she said I was Bo. I asked her how she knew, and she said, “I recognize your voice.” 

As I started to leave, she began trying to get out of bed. I asked her if she wanted to get up, and she said, “Yes, sir. I need to freshen up my feet.” I asked if that’s what she said, and again she said, “Yes, sir.” So I helped her get her shoes on, and we walked up and down the hall for a few minutes. 

She started going into someone else’s room, but I steered her away. I asked her where she was going, and she said she was going to find her “red timer.” I asked her what her red timer was, and she said it was her pink sweater. I told her she already had it on, and she said, “Thank you.”

We walked into the “commons area,” as I call it, and Janice, one of the nurses, told her that she was having lots of company today. I asked her who had been there today, and she said Sue and Don were there earlier.

Janice asked her who was with her, and she said, “I’ve got a sweater on.” So Janice asked “Who is that? Who is that with you?” “Yes, ma’am,” she answered. Then she asked her again, and she said, “That’s my son.” 

We walked a couple of laps up and down the hall, with her feeling blindly for the hand rail each time there was a break in it for a doorway. I really wonder how her vision is. If I had to guess, I would say that she’s losing it quickly.

There are a lot of large black and white pictures all along the hallway. I pointed out one in particular of an old phone booth, and asked her if she knew what the picture was. “It’s this building,” she said. I told her what it was, and she said, “It’s been a long time.” Then I pointed out a picture of the old Central Bank building, and she said she remembers that. I asked her if it was downtown, and she said, “Yes, ma’am.” 

She finally sat down in one of the chairs that lined the hall, and started buttoning the loops of her sweater to the buttons of her shirt. I tried to help her get it straight, but she was content to do it her way.

You might wonder about all the quotes in this post. They're absolutely accurate. I determined a few days ago that I would take a small pocket recorder with me on my visits so that I could capture everything that was said. I knew that by the time my visit was over and I finished up the day at the office, I’d have forgotten a lot of our conversation that I wanted to tell about.

It was a short visit, but a sweet one. She was not crying or upset. Her voice was calm and peaceful. There was no hint of anxiety or depression. It’s almost as if she has come to the realization that “it is what it is,” but I don’t know if she has the capacity to realize that.

I pray that God would grant inner peace to her along with His joy.

To Ashley

Isn't it nice that long ago it was decided that the United States would select your birthday to celebrate Veteran's Day?

I remember so well the excitement that swelled up within me those years ago when I actually saw the notice from the Red Cross as it was printing out on that old, now antiquated, teletype machine. It was addressed to my Commanding Officer, asking him to let me know of your birth, and that you and Mama were both well. I was so excited as I ripped it off the machine, date/time stamped it, initialed it, and headed off to find the CO so he could congratulate me! I know that somewhere we still have that original message that I tore off the teletype.

You have brought so much joy to our lives.

Happy Birthday, Ashley.

I love you.

-daddy-

Ashley's Birthday

Tuesday is Ashley's birthday, so Ginger, Lindsay, and I left Friday evening for Dallas to visit Ashley, Billy, Caleb, and Jacob. Melissa couldn't go. She had to do something about a shower for a wedding she's going to be in. 

It was nearly midnight when we got there. By the time we got everything unloaded from the car and visited for a while, it was after 1:00 a.m. Saturday before we went to bed. 

We visited Saturday morning after everybody got up, and Saturday afternoon we did a little shopping. Lindsay, Billy, Caleb, Jacob, and I went to Best Buy, and Ashley and Ginger went to Bed Bath and Beyond. After we finished in Best Buy, the four of us went next door to BB&B and found Ashley and Ginger. Ginger got some stuff there for the day bed in the computer room.

After that, we had some time to kill before we went to eat, so we went to the Bass Pro Shop. Now that's my kind of shopping! And Caleb and Jacob had a lot of fun in there. Lindsay bought a new life jacket for herself. She, Melissa, and I are planning on going fishing Tuesday since they're off work for Veteran's Day.

There were some ducks swimming around in one of the ponds in front of Bass Pro Shop, and the boys had fun watching them.

Lindsay had fun, too. She liked playing with the bear.

After shopping we had supper at Genghis Grill, a Mongolian stir fry grill. It's always fun going to a stir fry grill, and the food at Genghis Grill was good. The boys liked it, too.

Sunday morning we headed home early enough for Ashley, Billy, and the boys to get off to church without being late.

We had a good visit.

The other day I dreamed...

The other day I dreamed that when I visited her she was as coherent as she could be. She carried on a very calm, peaceful, pleasant, reasonable conversation. There was no crying or sadness. She was happy and content. That was quite different from what I found this morning.

When I got there she was not in the regular unit. She had gone down the hall for exercise therapy. Janice, a very sweet nurse, took me to the therapy room. There must have been about 40 people there, all sitting in chairs that made a large circle. Someone had a large beach ball, so I assume they were tossing the ball to each other. Janice told the therapist who I had come to see, so they took me to her.

It looked like she had been crying. The therapist asked her if she knew who I was. She looked at me through her glassy eyes and said, “That’s Bo.” That’s the first time in a long time that I had confirmation that she actually knew who I was. Then she started telling me that Snooks had died yesterday. She was so sad.

They let me take her back to the unit so I could visit with her. As we walked, she said that Sue had died yesterday, too. I tried to reassure her that Sue was perfectly fine, but that Snooks had died a long time ago. Then she started telling me to get some insurance papers from her file cabinet and take them to the funeral home so they could take care of everything. As much as I tried to get her off the subject, she was persistent about taking care of those papers.

We got back to the unit and had been sitting down for only a few minutes when Sue, Don, and Leigh Ann came to visit. I was so glad to see them. It helps to have someone else there during times like this. 

What ever happened to my dream?

A Little More Alert

I tried visiting her this evening after work to see if she would be more alert. The nurse told me that she had just gone into her room, so maybe she wasn't asleep yet.

She was all covered up and snoozing. I asked her if she were sleeping, and she roused a little. We were able to have a little bit of conversation, anyway.

She appeared to be quite thirsty, so I got some water for her. I helped her sit up, and she took a few sips of it and told me that it wasn't very good, but it was cold.

I asked her if she had eaten supper yet, and she said she hadn't. Since it was getting close to 7:00 p.m., I suspect she had eaten but didn't remember.

To try to stimulate conversation, I asked her if she'd seen Sue lately. She said not in about a week, but I know that's not the case. Then I asked if she'd seen Doug lately. She said that she looked for him at the hospital but couldn't find him. I asked her where she thought he might be, and she said that he was probably working on his "brums," or some such non-word. I think that at least she's associating the facts that Doug's at the hospital, and he works on things. That's good.

I asked her if she knew who I was, but like so many times before, she said nothing. She never looked directly at me. She seems to gaze into space. I wonder if her vision is getting much worse.

I told her I loved her, and that I'd let her rest. She said that she loves me, too, but then after I asked her another question, she responded with, "Yes, sir." Did she know who I was?

Alzheimer's disease is so mystifying.

My Bride's Birthday

My Bride and Me

Yesterday was my bride's birthday. I think she enjoyed her day. She went garage saling, as she usually likes to do on Saturday mornings, then she went shopping some more with Melissa. After that she went shopping some more with Jennifer while I made a cake for her. The two of us went to her favorite restaurant, Warehouse #1, for dinner later that evening. When we finished there we came home and about 14 people came over to have cake with us.

I love my bride.

She Had Pudding

I went to visit her today during lunch time. I thought I'd find her awake, but she wasn't. The nurse told me that she had already eaten, then went into a vacant room and climbed into one of the beds.

I tried to rouse her a little, but she just wanted to sleep. She did say, "Good morning," and told me that she had eaten some chocolate pudding. I asked her if she liked it, and she said, "Yes."

I asked her if she were sleepy. She said that she was, and that she had been awake all night with a "sour stomach."

She was covered with a bed spread and had her sweater on as well. I asked her if she was cold, and she said she was. But the room she was in was plenty warm.

I asked her several other questions to try to stimulate her mind, but she never answered them. It seems like she's very selective in what she answers.

Before I left I asked her if she knew who I was. No answer. I asked her if she wanted to open her eyes and look at me to see who I was, but again, no answer. Just to see if she had drifted off into a world only known to her, I asked her again if her pudding was good, and she again said, "Yes." So I tried again to see if she'd tell me who I was, but again, no answer. I wonder if she realized who I was but just couldn't come up with my name, so she just decided not to answer.

What a Week!

Robert waiting for a hit.

This past Tuesday Robert and I left shortly after noon going to Toledo Bend for a few days. We stayed at the North Toledo Bend State Park Tuesday night through Friday night, and we fished from Tuesday evening until Saturday evening. There were five other guys there in our group, so we all had a good time.

Tuesday it was pretty late by the time we got there, got check in, got everything transferred from the truck to the cabin, and got the boat in the water. We were only able to fish a short time, but we had to do it or bust!

We left about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday to drive down to the south end of the reservoir to meet with a professional guide, Joe Joslin. We fished with him from about 7:00 a.m. until about 2:45 p.m. Joe is a very nice person, a solid Christian, and fun to be with. He showed us a few of his "honey holes" and a few tricks, and we ended up catching 35 bass among the three of us. After all that Robert and I headed back to the cabin at the state park.

Thursday was windy, rainy, and fairly cool. It actually should have been the best fishing day, but Robert and I only caught 24 bass that day.

Friday was better. We caught 42 bass... mostly Spotted Bass, but some Largemouth Bass as well.

Saturday was the best. We had 45 bass by about 11:00 a.m. Then we went back to the cabin for lunch and to brag to the other guys. We went back out later to fish some more, but Robert's batteries seemed to be weak, so we went back to the cabin and charged the batteries for about two hours while we watched a little bit of the LSU football game. That was sad! After the batteries appeared to have charged back up, we went fishing again. The batteries still were acting ugly, but we went ahead and did the best we could do under the circumstances. By the end of the day we had totaled 62 bass.

We debated over whether to stay Saturday night and try to fish a while Sunday morning or go ahead and leave. The cabins were already reserved through Sunday, but we'd have to be out of them by 11:00 a.m. anyway. Since he was having trouble with the trolling motor batteries we decided to pack it up and head home. So about 8:30 p.m we left and got home about midnight.

All seven of us had a great time, and that Therion can cook some great food! One night we had beef stew (not that canned stuff, either), one night we had a fish fry, one night we had hamburgers, and I don't remember what we had one of the nights. For breakfast Therion would cook scrambled eggs and I think grits, make biscuits and gravy, and other stuff, too. Of course there was coffee, orange juice and milk.

We're scheduled to go back for a few days in March.

Mooshie...

Today she was sitting in a chair with her head down. She never would raise her head or even open her eyes. 

She knew I was there, but she never looked at me. I asked her how she knew who I was, and she said, "I saw you once."

She kept repeating the same word over and over, "mooshie... mooshie... mooshie...," but I never could get her to explain what she meant. Then she said, "Press me a different way."

If only I could get inside her mind.

Are You Courting?

We had a good time with Ashley and the boys being here this past weekend.

I think the best part for the boys was when they were invited to a marshmallow roast by some of the little girls in the neighborhood. I asked Caleb if he was "courting" one of them. After I told him what "courting" was, I think it got off with him. Funny!

Today's visit...

Today's visit was depressing. She was asleep on a couch in the visitor's room. Ginger and I tried to talk to her... ask her if she wanted to go outside on the patio and feel the warm sunshine, because she was cold. She only wanted to sleep.

I tried to stimulate her by telling her that Ashley and the boys had been with us earlier. All she could manage was a simple, "Oh." I don't even know if she understood.

We left her in her own peculiar world, thinking and dreaming of things only she could know about and understand.

If Alzheimers were something living, physical, animate, I think I could be guilty of murder.

She said...

I visited her Saturday morning. She was very confused. I thought she knew who I was, but then she began answering me, "Yes, sir" and "No, sir."

She was worried because she thought she was missing church. I reassured her that it was only Saturday.

She wanted to change her socks because she thought they were wet. She said she had been outside in the water. She hadn't been outside, and her socks were perfectly dry.

She colored with a yellow highlighter for a minute, then decided she needed to go to bed. I helped her get into bed, then she said, "I love you," and drifted off to sleep as she was trying to complete another sentence that made sense only to her.

Alzheimers is so cruel. 

I finally gave in...

I finally gave in and bought a TiVo. It was a hassle to set the DVD recorder, and occasionally I'd mess up the time and miss part or all of the show I was trying to record. 

Robert convinced me to get the TiVo rather than a cable company provided DVR. His and the one Melissa and Lindsay have with Comcast were both messed up when Comcast did some kind of an upgrade. They lost all the shows they had saved. At least with the TiVo the programs are saved locally on the unit, not out there in cable-space somewhere.

And with the TiVo I can access my account over the Internet and set up programming. There are a lot of other nice features as well.

I think I'm going to like it.

Cruel Thief

A cruel thief...

He can strike very quickly and take everything at once, or he can work very slowly and subtly and steal a little at a time, making one wonder what's happening.

He can steal from those who never imagined he'd take from them.

He causes those who love the victim to wonder how it could have ever happened.

When he's finished with his evil task he leaves his victim completely stripped of dignity, memory, awareness, hope...

His name is Alzheimer.