An Alzheimer’s Caregiver Blog http://www.knowitalz.com Fri, 09 May 2008 14:37:36 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.knowitalz.com/community/caregiver/copy-cat.html Yesterday, I went to the grocery store and got my usual order of bananas. Four ripe and four green. That way, by the time the four ripe ones have been eaten, the green ones are ripe. Immediately after Dad ate his breakfast banana, I still had two left from last week, and so I offered one to Little Sam (which she began to eat while handing Dad his pills) and laid another on the counter for Edna, who was in the next room. Within ten seconds, I caught a glimpse of Dad eating Edna's banana before she had a chance to snatch it off the counter, having forgotten he had just finished one. How nice that Dad's his new soul-mate is an eighteen year-old, banana loving, blond-haired girl. Fri, 09 May 2008 14:07:00 +0100 http://www.knowitalz.com/community/caregiver/it-is-a-little-outrageous.html Today, Samantha took Dad to physical therapy, and as usual, they stopped in at Borders Books for an iced coffee and a New york Times for Dad. For some reason, when the cashier made the announcement that the total was $9.65, Dad had a small fit. That is outrageous! He fumed as he put down the drink and the paper. He refused to pay that ridiculous price for two coffees and a newspaper. Dad thinks that should be about $1.25. Samantha called to lament that he had made her leave her coffee behind also, as he loudly commented that this would be his last trip to that particular store! Until Friday. Wed, 07 May 2008 18:15:36 +0100 http://www.knowitalz.com/community/dementia/short-primary-season-for-dad.html North Carolina votes in the primary today. Finally! I guess anyone who has seen CNN in the past 2 weeks knows that. When I got up this morning, I had a note from Dad that read: Kathy - Am I registered to vote in Pfafftown (our town) tomorrow? I wonder who He'll vote for. I bet he'll ask me who Barack Obama is and if there is really a woman running for President. He is the only person I know who is not sick to death of the hearing about the whole darned thing day and night! Tue, 06 May 2008 08:59:23 +0100 http://www.knowitalz.com/community/caregiver/cinco-de-mayo.html Today Dad is having dinner with my sister Susan and David and I will enjoy a rare treat of Mexican food on the perfect day. Dad was in the Army back in the 1950s and was stationed in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. He ate a lot of Mexican food during that time and it is the only food he really does not like. Whenever I mention it, Dad says, I don't like Mexican food. Leave that to Sierra. Sierra is our dog and she ate about six of our Latin American neighbors' pet chickens last year. He remembers things I wish I could forget! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Mon, 05 May 2008 14:21:06 +0100 http://www.knowitalz.com/community/alzheimer-s/holding-his-liquor.html Yesterday my new computer arrived with lots of migs and gigs and GHZ so I am able to work more efficiently on KnowItAlz.. My friend Brandon came to set it up and we went to dinner afterward. On the way home, we were talking about the success of our Lion's Club walk earlier in the day (we raised over a thousand dollars to help train a seeing eye puppy) and Dad glumly said that he had no recollection of the walk at all. I told him he had 2 (imaginary) gin and tonics at the (imaginary) after party for the walk. That explains it. He said with a hint of relief, having been given a plausible explanation for his not remembering the big walk six hours earlier. Congratulations. You are now officially a black-out drunk. I joked to my Dad, as I patted him on the back and he laughed hysterically. I used to hold my liquor a whole lot better than that. Dad replied. As long as you hold it until we get home, you are doing great for your age! Sun, 04 May 2008 08:21:05 +0100