Dad's scooter accident

So today I get a text message from my SIL Edie telling me that Dad had fallen off his scooter and hit his head and knee and they were currently at the ER.  In my usual "maternal" concern I text back that it was the curb's fault and to tell Mario Andretti to slow down.  She texted later that they were done and headed home.  The initial text was a group conversation so my sisters also were informed at the same time.  Patty texts that he needs a helmet and Shelley texts that she will call later.  I texted Shelley wondering if my brother Mike would put Dad on restriction on his scooter.  She thinks maybe Dad will put himself on restriction - fat chance.  Figuring that both sisters would be calling him, I texted Edie to ask Dad to call me when he felt like it.  I'm easy.

He calls later and turns out this is the 3rd time he has fallen off this tri-wheeled scooter.  He says the stability is just not great and he's had to balance quite a bit.  Also it's not real great on sidewalks cause it uncomfortably hits bumps.  I mention that maybe that particular scooter is not made for outdoor treks and maybe he should look for another 4 wheeled scooter for his outings.  He agrees.

My parents live in Colorado Springs in a northern part of the city.  There is no rural part of the city anymore and the Safeway he goes to is about a mile and a half from their house.  Dad is 89 and legally blind from macular degeneration and uses a hearing aid and has heart problems.  It is also very difficult to tell him that he can't do something.  I made a special trip to try to convince him to give up driving.  Got his attention  but was not successful.  Knew I might have pushed too hard when he came to tell Mom and me that he was going somewhere and did either of us want to lead him to the garage.  Oops!

Now my Mother is 88 and is in sort of good health but does have Alzheimer's that is not too bad just yet.  That diagnosis is rather recent but she's been showing signs of dementia for some years before that diagnosis.  I also made a trip there to get her to go to the doctors to get checked out for he mental state and had to say I wasn't leaving until she made and went to an appointment.  She reluctantly made and appointment and the 3 of use went.  Dr thought maybe it was her medication for urinating and I thought it was the ambien - both wrong as it turns out. 

So back to Dad . . . He figured that Mom could drive and he could be the navigator - the blind navigator!  Mom agreed that could work but she didn't drive much at all so that plan didn't work out well at all.  On another trip there we went to the flea market and I asked Mike what had happened to the plan of him and Edie moving in with them.  He said they had talked about it but nothing had happened.  I also asked Dad about them moving into Mom and Dad's and he too said that they had talked about it but nothing had happened.  Got Mike, Edie, Dad together at the flea market and seriously talked about it - Mom had stayed home.  Had plans to all go out to dinner that night so decided we'd talk about it.  Mom was sort of okay about it at dinner that night until Dad mentioned selling the cars.  That was a whole 'nother story.

Mike and Edie sold their house and moved in with Mom and Dad.  Edie is a SAINT!!!  She takes them to appointments and keeps track of things and much much more.  Dad is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant so still has some use of military health services and also VA.  The VA has great programs for the blind and he has gotten lots of assistance in this area.  Dad noticed that he got way too out of breath so went in to have that checked out.  Seems there is a portion of his heart that is just not working right and there is not much that they can do or that he is willing to have done to help the situation.  About 2 or 3 blocks from the house is a Walgreens and used to be a 7-Eleven right next to it.  Dad used to walk there and get "sale stuff" from Walgreens and his lottery tickets.  He was known and would sit if he needed to rest up before going home.  He also was known to walk way further than any of us were comfortable with but he is hard headed.  The scooter was very helpful after this latest heart "knowledge" and he would take off when he felt it was nice enough outside.

That brings us to today.  According to him, he was backing the scooter up to push the button to cross a street and clipped the curb.  He says he was still sort of seated when his head and knee hit the sidewalk.  Said it almost seemed that a man was there almost before he fell off to help him and lots of cars stopped.  Man asked him if he wanted him to call for help and Dad told him he was only about 2 blocks from home and he would call on his cell phone to have Edie come get him.  Someone told him that a lady in a car had already called 911 and soon an ambulance and a firetruck arrived as well as several police cars.  At that point he was sitting on the sidewalk/curb and there was a cut above an eyebrow that was bleeding and he had a cut on his nose.  Not exactly sure just how he got to the ER or how the scooter got home but do know that he was totally embarrassed by all the attention.  Asked him if he thought he would make the paper and we laughed about a headline.

He was impressed at how quickly he was taken care of at the ER.  He said his last visit they had to wait for quite a while - guess blood helps.  I had planned on calling them today to tell them about my "new" car so we got on that topic for a while.  Then talked about how simple things are no longer simple sometimes when you get older.  Things like falling and getting back up among other things.  I did remind him that there were still many things that he could still do and he said he was thankful for what vision he had left.  Then I asked if Mom was around and after listening to his commentary of getting up and finding her we said good-bye.  Conversation with Mom is a whole 'nother story.

Ankle pants

Don't want to say I will never wear ankle pants but there is a great probability that it's not going to be part of my wardrobe.  Growing up and being tall most of the pants in the stores hit me around the ankles and it was seriously not in fashion.  One of the reasons I learned to sew!!  Capri length is good and doesn't look like you just put on a pair of pants that were too short for you.  I remember getting a pair of pants in maybe the 9th grade and wearing them to a dance or something and then begging my Mom to take them back because they were too short.  She was not happy and reluctant since I had worn them.  She let me know she was not happy but she did take them back - I think.

In my early 20's the fashion - for me anyway - was hip hugger bell-bottoms.  Got mine at the Navy Surplus store in denim and usually a 34 inch inseam.  Yep, they dragged the ground and the hem got stepped on and frayed.  Along with those was the denim workshirt with two pockets in the front as bra was optional at that time - for me anyway.  Pretty easy wardrobe.

My first office job (1972 or 73 I think) required more "grown up" clothes and again I was back to the pant length problem.  Trusty sewing machine again came to the rescue.  I don't remember where or when I got my first pair of tall pants.  Sears, Penny's, Montgomery Ward's catalog?  Could have even been in a store but I was soooo happy.  Now it seems strange if there is not a tall length offered and sometimes they are too tall for me - go figure!

Death

I had a great Christmas with the kids in Branson.  I left on the 24th and came home on Saturday the 28th.  I sat down to look at all the newspapers from that time and checked the obits.  I was shocked to see my next door neighbor, Troy Smith, in the obits.  I didn't really know him well but we spoke and he was real helpful the first time I subbed at the Middle School.

He was only 48, married with two grown kids and a toddler grandchild.  He taught Social Studies (I believe) and also coached.  There will be a lot of confusion at the Middle School after the holidays.  I did not go to the services and the paper said he had already been cremated.

I don't know why I just can't get this out of my head.  There are a few similarities between Jim and Troy but I don't think that's it.  I think maybe it's just the finality of death.  One second you are alive and the next a memory.  So strange and hard to wrap my mind around.  How can someone just cease to exist?  Gone.  No laugh.  No smile.  No touch.  Just gone other than memories.  Seems so wrong.

North Carolina:


Dad told me that when they got to North Carolina all they had was his foot locker, my high chair, my bed & whatever else that was for me.  They found a furniture store and the man there sold Mom & Dad furniture that was his and he did it on time payments.  Dad said that if it hadn't been for him, they just might not have had furniture.


I'm sure Nannie & Papa would have taken care of some of that problem when they came to visit - or would have tried to anyway.  Think Dad might have been a little too stubborn to accept "charity".  Who knows.


I don't really remember much of living there but have a vague memory of being told not to get too close to the water by the club (?) because of alligators.  Know that Mom & Dad made friends there that they kept in touch with for many years.  I really don't remember names but might try to get some info from the folks in July for the combined celebration of Mom's 85th and their 65th anniversary.

Holland:


While stationed at Ramstein AFB, Germany, we took a family trip to Holland.  Patty was left behind with a young couple since she was so little.


We stayed in the home of Madame Von Vliet (?) and with the rooms came breakfast.  A breakfast I remember was a soft boiled egg & guess something like a bread or some thing but I don't remember what.  Do remember it wasn't like what we were used to.


Not sure when in the trip that Mom got sick but she got very ill and Madame called in a doctor and she took care of Mom.  I think it was food poisoning from mushroom soup she had at a place called Cozy Corner (?).  There weren't US military facilities there so Dad had to pay the Dutch doctor.  Money was short after than and we pretty much ate French fries bought at stands as the boys and Dad and I went sightseeing.  I remember that once we got back to Germany I just could not stand to eat French fries for a very long time.


Do remember the miniature village/city at some city there.  Very intricate and amazing.  And we did go somewhere that most of  the people did actually wear wooden shoes and costumes from the past.  Rotterdam?  Long time ago - lol.

Mystery item

Reading last night's newspaper and read an article about not wasting fresh foods.  It mentioned rubbery carrots (and other vegies) and using them in a soup or spaghetti sauce.  Immediately I smiled and thought of a trip I had taken with my sister Shelley's family.


We were headed to Colorado Springs to surprise my mother with a birthday party.  I had joined them in Wichita and we decided to stop in Hays, KS for lunch.  Hays was a usual stopping place on the way to the Springs and the Golden Corral - or restaurant similar - was always a good place to eat.  So the six of us stopped for lunch.  I think I was one of the last to get up and there was an item that I questioned.  Trying to remember just what it looked like and all I can come up with was noodles (spaghetti?) and carrots and runny but a little thick and not being in an area on the line where soup was expected.  I asked a waiter to identify it for me and she was unable.  She then got the manager who was also unable.  He in turn got the chef who was also unable. 


All during this, my brother-in-law, Tom, had some that he had put in a bowl and had eaten.  The chef then went back into the kitchen and came out with another person.  Somewhere along the way, I left the buffet line and sat at our table.  We were all watching the group at the food line and had cracked up as the group expanded.  As we watched, one of them removed the item from the food line.  The expression on Tom's face was priceless!  He did say that it tasted good.


I had not expected that result from my simple question but it did create a memory that we all still crack up thinking about.

What's happening?

I just saw a post that there is a petition going on to get the Duggar family off TLC in that show they have 19 kids and counting.  I don't watch the show and only know about them from different things in the news.  This "nugget" was on Facebook and it's because they are not supporting the LBGT (did I get that right?) community and also seem to be proactive in someway against them.


What has happened to "I don't respect your opinion but I do respect your right to that opinion."  Again, it goes something like that and I might not have gotten it correctly but I believe the intent is clear.  We can not all think the same way and we shouldn't have to and should not be punished for different thoughts.


It seems lately that anytime a group or someone is shown not being "politically correct" in thinking, there is punitive action against them.  Why?  Don't they have a right to think the way they want?  Even that deplorable "church" group in Topeka has some rights in their absurd thinking.  Shoot, that horrible group is even given the right to demonstrate their insane ideas.  Am I pejorative concerning this group?  Dang right but I do respect their right to think those thoughts but not the actions they take that are harmful to others.


The Duggars, the Duck Dynasty people, and whoever else have not committed a crime and should not be punished until convicted of a crime.  You don't like their thoughts?  Don't watch their shows and do not support them by buying any merchandise affiliated with them.  In the case of the Duggars and their show on TLC - The Learning Chanel - let me say that again The LEARNING Chanel - should it be cancelled because they support male to female marriages opposed to alternative marriages?  I don't think it should be cancelled.  Again - LEARNING - "different strokes for different folks" how would you know enough about opposing thoughts if you are not exposed to them? 


Was also going to rant about people suspected of a crime or even just accused of a crime being punished prior to a trial but I've run out of steam.


Later.................