We spent thanksgiving with our sister in law Nancy.
Gramps is kinda of upset with us and the home thinks we should not spend thanksgiving with them.
We went to a cheap steak joint called Sam Selzers in Sarasota on Tamiami.
Had a great turkey dinner for $17. 4 slices Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos, sweet potato, veggies and cranberries.
Usually, we clean our Chicago house and have all our family and sometimes friends drop in for Thanksgiving dinner. So many items on the menu, there is always some left over.
and we end up exhausted for days.
Usually our thanksgiving table is just perfect.
I inherited Turkey Plates...Johnson Bros (BARNYARD KING) from my parents back in 1972.
I really miss being with the family, all the conversations going on at the same time.
mostly across the table.
Then silence after the last WILL YOU PASS THE GRAVY...
Only the grandkids keep talking, as everyone else have their mouths full.
I hope you all took photos of your dinners and family.
I have many photos from this trip and will put on a web page whenever I get home
and to my computer.
Library computers and friends computers just make me afraid to attach my card reader and use the computers for more than a few minutes.
I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for being my friends.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I lost it
I just wrote the most beautiful blog I have ever done.
It disappeared.
So in Summary
I give thanks to Everyone and especially my family
It disappeared.
So in Summary
I give thanks to Everyone and especially my family
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Its Done...They're in the Home....
It was a bright and sunny Friday morning. There was warmth as the sun burned up the area.
Gramps said What are we doing today?
Well Gramps, we're going to look into a wheel chair for you today and then off to YOUR DAMM NEW HOME YOU'RE GOING TO BE THROWN INTO.....nah, I didn't say that.
But after living with folks as old and troublesome as Gramps, I wanted to say that.
After the wheelchair we're going for Pancakes at Denny's.
That was the truth and there was more.
We were taking them away from their house of 23 yrs and occupy them for a few hours while their other daughter Nancy directed the moving men. They would load up their truck and race to the Assisted Care Home...
...put the furniture in their room and have it ready for when we took them to see it. Then we would dump them....sorry, we would leave them with qualified personel ASL employees.
About 10:45 am we got into the car and drove toward Sarasota stopping in Venice Fl to check out wheelchairs.
No money down and just a Medicare card for a new wheelchair.
That took an hour and a half and then it was off to Dennys.
Dennys saw granny eat a grand slam breakfast and attempt to lick the plate. That little old lady sure can pack it away. And without saying a word.
Finished with Denny's we still needed to kill time so off to a shoe store where I broke down and bought new shoes...you know white gym shoes.
That was funny in that for some reason I had the salesperson check my shoe size for each foot. One is bigger than the other. So one shoe is comfy and the other feels like a snow shoe.
Back to the saga:
We said we were going to meet Nancy so Ted, ( who was insisting he get his checkbook back from her...just because it made him feel better ) could get the book.
We drove to the big driveway at the home and there was his furniture lined up next to us. Oh No, he will catch on whats happening but its too late, he's going in with granny.
I unloaded the chair out of the trunk and he slowly got out of the car and into it. He was tired. He was too tired to care about anything.
It seems I made a mistake at Dennys and parked the car too far away from Denny's entrance. I thought he would use the wheelchair. Instead he insisted on walking. About half way there, he realized that he made a mistake and I must have too.
When he got into the wheelchair at the ASL home, I quickly distracted him away from his furniture as we made our way into the home.
I pushed him into the PUB,,,yes a pub with Happy Hour and free drinks. We were waiting for Nancy to arrive and would look at the room for him. He said ok and we waited and watch an 85 yr old resident set up a guitar stand and start singing.
Granny, Irene started to tap her fingers and Gramps just hung his head, exhausted.
Soon, we got the phone call. The room was ready. I pushed him into a combination keyed elevator and to the 2nd floor. The Memory unit or lock down unit.
I pushed him down the hall and into the room. There was his furniture in the tv/living room with his inch tv, two big Lazy boy chairs. The bedroom with that furniture and asked him what he thought.
Beautiful he said. How'd they get it here.
They moved your furniture here so you can move in today.
OH NO, I'M NOT READY...GIVE ME MY CAR KEYS....and more yelling.
I looked at the girls and said Get Out.
I told him, this is your new home....don't cause trouble for your wife and take it like a man....give it a chance and you'll love it.
We turned and walked out...closing the door behind us and them.
The girls started to cry and cried thru their multiple happy hour drinks at Chilli's.
I had 3 Margies and was in a laughing mode.
It was over.....almost 5 weeks living with and all their problems. Gramps being bossy and grabby and granny getting into mischief.
Well, we thought it was over....there's more...but IT'S DONE...THEY'RE IN THE HOME
Gramps said What are we doing today?
Well Gramps, we're going to look into a wheel chair for you today and then off to YOUR DAMM NEW HOME YOU'RE GOING TO BE THROWN INTO.....nah, I didn't say that.
But after living with folks as old and troublesome as Gramps, I wanted to say that.
After the wheelchair we're going for Pancakes at Denny's.
That was the truth and there was more.
We were taking them away from their house of 23 yrs and occupy them for a few hours while their other daughter Nancy directed the moving men. They would load up their truck and race to the Assisted Care Home...
...put the furniture in their room and have it ready for when we took them to see it. Then we would dump them....sorry, we would leave them with qualified personel ASL employees.
About 10:45 am we got into the car and drove toward Sarasota stopping in Venice Fl to check out wheelchairs.
No money down and just a Medicare card for a new wheelchair.
That took an hour and a half and then it was off to Dennys.
Dennys saw granny eat a grand slam breakfast and attempt to lick the plate. That little old lady sure can pack it away. And without saying a word.
Finished with Denny's we still needed to kill time so off to a shoe store where I broke down and bought new shoes...you know white gym shoes.
That was funny in that for some reason I had the salesperson check my shoe size for each foot. One is bigger than the other. So one shoe is comfy and the other feels like a snow shoe.
Back to the saga:
We said we were going to meet Nancy so Ted, ( who was insisting he get his checkbook back from her...just because it made him feel better ) could get the book.
We drove to the big driveway at the home and there was his furniture lined up next to us. Oh No, he will catch on whats happening but its too late, he's going in with granny.
I unloaded the chair out of the trunk and he slowly got out of the car and into it. He was tired. He was too tired to care about anything.
It seems I made a mistake at Dennys and parked the car too far away from Denny's entrance. I thought he would use the wheelchair. Instead he insisted on walking. About half way there, he realized that he made a mistake and I must have too.
When he got into the wheelchair at the ASL home, I quickly distracted him away from his furniture as we made our way into the home.
I pushed him into the PUB,,,yes a pub with Happy Hour and free drinks. We were waiting for Nancy to arrive and would look at the room for him. He said ok and we waited and watch an 85 yr old resident set up a guitar stand and start singing.
Granny, Irene started to tap her fingers and Gramps just hung his head, exhausted.
Soon, we got the phone call. The room was ready. I pushed him into a combination keyed elevator and to the 2nd floor. The Memory unit or lock down unit.
I pushed him down the hall and into the room. There was his furniture in the tv/living room with his inch tv, two big Lazy boy chairs. The bedroom with that furniture and asked him what he thought.
Beautiful he said. How'd they get it here.
They moved your furniture here so you can move in today.
OH NO, I'M NOT READY...GIVE ME MY CAR KEYS....and more yelling.
I looked at the girls and said Get Out.
I told him, this is your new home....don't cause trouble for your wife and take it like a man....give it a chance and you'll love it.
We turned and walked out...closing the door behind us and them.
The girls started to cry and cried thru their multiple happy hour drinks at Chilli's.
I had 3 Margies and was in a laughing mode.
It was over.....almost 5 weeks living with and all their problems. Gramps being bossy and grabby and granny getting into mischief.
Well, we thought it was over....there's more...but IT'S DONE...THEY'RE IN THE HOME
Thursday, November 20, 2008
I've Been Snooked
As you know its been hectic around Rontonda Fl. So when some friends said Lets go see Elvis, we jumped at the opportunity.
Its at Snook Haven just off of I-75 and River Road. Marker 190. We didn't need that info as we are west on river Rd. http://www.snookhavenretreat.com/
Its a deserted area and we had to pull off of River Rd onto a dirt road. Similar to those into the swampland. The over growth and darkness of sunset made it a little spooky.
Have any of you seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Similar to those roads.
Anyway, we had easy parking, nice view of the Myaka river.
The restaurant was clean and roomy with great food at reasonable prices. Something about spending $14 to cover the entertainment charge.
Elvis was great and almost as good as our friend Terry is, I'm sure.
His name was Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy and he also sang dressed like that guy from the 60's with dark clothes and thick dark glasses... Roy Orbison???
We all had enough to drink and then split with hugs for all.
Oh, Elvis was so good, he sang his way to Karolyn and sang her some song about a ring and then gave her a giant plastic necklace ring.
She went silly and hugged him for the longest time. I then noticed that her hand went down Elvis' backside and grabbed his ass. Hey, I shouted....and Elvis quickly moved away.
Yes, a good time was held by all.
We'll drive home and tomorrow will re-start the in-law problems. But tonight belonged to Elvis.
Its at Snook Haven just off of I-75 and River Road. Marker 190. We didn't need that info as we are west on river Rd. http://www.snookhavenretreat.com/
Its a deserted area and we had to pull off of River Rd onto a dirt road. Similar to those into the swampland. The over growth and darkness of sunset made it a little spooky.
Have any of you seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Similar to those roads.
Anyway, we had easy parking, nice view of the Myaka river.
The restaurant was clean and roomy with great food at reasonable prices. Something about spending $14 to cover the entertainment charge.
Elvis was great and almost as good as our friend Terry is, I'm sure.
His name was Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy and he also sang dressed like that guy from the 60's with dark clothes and thick dark glasses... Roy Orbison???
We all had enough to drink and then split with hugs for all.
Oh, Elvis was so good, he sang his way to Karolyn and sang her some song about a ring and then gave her a giant plastic necklace ring.
She went silly and hugged him for the longest time. I then noticed that her hand went down Elvis' backside and grabbed his ass. Hey, I shouted....and Elvis quickly moved away.
Yes, a good time was held by all.
We'll drive home and tomorrow will re-start the in-law problems. But tonight belonged to Elvis.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
We're Moved Back In With The Parents...Oh No!!!!
Yes, its been a few rough weeks.
As most know we are in Florida,,,,Rotonda near Englewood to help the parents of Karolyn. It seems that the father was a young 90 two months ago.
Now after some physical and some brain--stroke?? last week, he is suddenly an old 90.
We have been going day by day and hunting down homes for Ted & Irene.
Irene has Advanced Dementia and Ted was starving to death. Karolyn's cooking and any fast food we buy had an drastic effect on his health. He's getting stronger but still can't take care of himself.
Granny has had many incidents that happens to Dementia patients.
But we're suffering the most.
No matter how we try to understand, we still find ourselves getting angry and sometimes say such stupid things to them. Its not like they mean to insult us....we understand that.
But its tough to constantly get it from them.
We found a great place for anyone and it has a memory unit for Irene. Ted is quickly losing his short term memory ability and will stay with granny.
This will only be if we can get them to the home.
He agreed the other day but now says he is not ready to go to a home. Sometimes violently.
This doesn't mean much to me but the girls take with terrible pain.
Who knows what will occur next.
All I know is it takes 15 minutes and 10 miles of driving to get to this library.
I'll try to write more but its just the same from day to day.
After this experience: living with the parents....84 degree heat in the house....ordering from Ted to GO OVER THERE, OK TURN OFF THE LIGHT.
Anyways, talk later.
and follow my favorite motto
"KEEP SMILIN"
Love ya All
jim
As most know we are in Florida,,,,Rotonda near Englewood to help the parents of Karolyn. It seems that the father was a young 90 two months ago.
Now after some physical and some brain--stroke?? last week, he is suddenly an old 90.
We have been going day by day and hunting down homes for Ted & Irene.
Irene has Advanced Dementia and Ted was starving to death. Karolyn's cooking and any fast food we buy had an drastic effect on his health. He's getting stronger but still can't take care of himself.
Granny has had many incidents that happens to Dementia patients.
But we're suffering the most.
No matter how we try to understand, we still find ourselves getting angry and sometimes say such stupid things to them. Its not like they mean to insult us....we understand that.
But its tough to constantly get it from them.
We found a great place for anyone and it has a memory unit for Irene. Ted is quickly losing his short term memory ability and will stay with granny.
This will only be if we can get them to the home.
He agreed the other day but now says he is not ready to go to a home. Sometimes violently.
This doesn't mean much to me but the girls take with terrible pain.
Who knows what will occur next.
All I know is it takes 15 minutes and 10 miles of driving to get to this library.
I'll try to write more but its just the same from day to day.
After this experience: living with the parents....84 degree heat in the house....ordering from Ted to GO OVER THERE, OK TURN OFF THE LIGHT.
Anyways, talk later.
and follow my favorite motto
"KEEP SMILIN"
Love ya All
jim
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