Going to Florida Again

Thursday, 01 November 2007

Dad and I are leaving tomorrow for his 61st High School Reunion.  They have a full sized reunion every five years in Highland Park, NJ where my dad went to high school and the ”mini” in Florida every year.  So, obviously, dad does not remember we are going, so I keep showing him the flyers I made up to remind him and he gets excited every time. I got home from work today and packed his clothes, yearbooks, toiletries, etc. in the suitcase and left his room.   A while later I went by the door of his room and noticed he was putting some clothes away.  As he was unpacking the suitcase and noticed the yearbooks he said, “what a great time we had at the reunion, huh Kath”  “We had a great time Dad”.   So, he has gone to bed, and I just finished repacking.  I hope we have a great time “again”!

 

Kathy's Time Machine

Thursday, 01 November 2007

Today is Tuesday and Tuesday is haircut day. My father has had his haircut by the same barber on the same day of the week for about 20 years. He ALWAYS remembers that Tuesday is haircut day. Well, today we had a doctor’s appointment and I knew he needed a haircut before we leave for his Reunion on Thursday, but trying to get him to get a haircut on Monday is all but impossible. So, I resorted to a trick that has served me well these past couple of years. I change time. Amazing you may say, but not really. We have a chalkboard that I write the day and date on for my dad, and when I need to change the schedule, I just change the date. Yesterday, I put out last Tuesday’s paper and wrote last Tuesday’s date on the board. Viola! Haircut on Monday – Victory!

 

Just the Chicken Sandwich

Thursday, 01 November 2007

My sister, Susan, took dad to Chick-Fil-A for dinner the other day.  There, in a large frame at the counter, was the sign.  It said “We Didn’t Invent the Chicken, just the Chicken Sandwich” along with a date - 1946.  Well, unfortunately for the 16 year old on duty, my father does remember a few things (especially from his high school years), and one of them was DISTINCTLY REMEMBERING HAVING A CHICKEN SANDWICH before 1946.  He was horrified at the misleading false representation that THEY had invented the chicken sandwich.  Susan is adding Chick-Fil-A to the list of places not to take dad for dinner.

 

My Father is Shrinking

Thursday, 01 November 2007

Dad was always stubborn, but Alzheimer’s has added a new level.   According to dad, he has worn a size 36 pant for 60 years.  He has never worn anything bigger than a 36 (I may have believed this if I had not seen pictures).  But why argue, right?    So, anyway, a while back, I decided that instead of with my dad wearing 36” pants that cut off his breathing, I would just cut out the tags so he had no idea he was wearing 38s.   So, I have found that with dad, once we like something (the way pants fit, a particular food or brand of juice, etc.) we stock up on that particular thing so there is no guessing games with any future purchases.    Well, for Christmas, we got him 4 pairs of the same pants (38 waist so he can breathe) and I promptly removed all of the tags.     Dad came into my office this morning, and with a puzzled look, proclaimed, “I must be shrinking.”    He was standing there, wearing a giant pair of pants that were about 6” too big in the waist and 4 inches too long.  I guess when I grabbed the stack of pants at the store there was an off size mixed in with the other three.    I just looked at him and said, “the diet must be working”.