I'm too tired for clever titles

Well, things are, as Mel put it, "FLYING downhill" with dad. He did call his ex to tell her he wasn't going to talk to her, but then started calling her again the very next day. Of course. That's what people with dementia do... Problem is, when he talks to her he gets depressed because she won't come back home, and if he doesn't talk to her he's a pain in the rear to live with. He's rude, sullen, and pouting, refusing to eat or have anything to drink, and speaking to everyone only in monosyllables - basically a 3-year-old brat in a 250-pound 78-year-old body. Very difficult to deal with. I know they probably don't think so, but I do give Mel and Missy a lot of credit for dealing with him. It's beyond frustrating to have to deal with him on a day to day basis, I know I couldn't do it. Part of the problem lies with the fact that we all have difficulty separating the person he has become from "dad". I know I still can't do it. I try reasoning with him, and sometimes he sounds perfectly reasonable, but then 10 minutes later --- "I never said that". Um, okay.

One bit of good news that I did get today was that his Veteran's Service Officer will testify in his behalf in Scottsbluff at the admission hearing for the VA. Whoop! I really wasn't looking forward to driving 8 hours for 2 days in a row - or sleeping on a motel bed. Heaven knows if I would have been coherent enough to even speak in his behalf. I asked Mel to write a letter explaining why Dipstick shouldn't be considered in deciding dad's approval or not. She did a good job and wrote a great letter. I think she's a lot better at those kind of things than I am. I also got a lot of help from Char at the Lincoln Veteran's Administration office in Lincoln yesterday. She was wonderful and answered a lot of my questions - not a typical government employee, if you get my drift. I really appreciated all the help I got from her. I am really happy about that bit of news. Dad's lawyer, Richard, is also going to write a letter in dad's behalf, basically just stating that Dipstick in no way contributes to dad's support, financial, emotional, or in any other way. In other words, she's basically useless - but if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that.

Mom called me this morning and wanted to take me to lunch before we went over to her church to price more stuff for the garage sale. Who am I to refuse a free lunch? Went to Village Inn and had a free piece of pie for dessert since it's free pie Wednesday - yummy! I should have gotten it to go though. It too the waitress nearly 20 minutes to bring the pie, after asking us 2 times what kind we liked, and she still brought me apple instead of triple berry... By that time I just wanted my darn pie and leave, but the apple was great. Not quite as good as the fresh strawberry I had last week in Fremont, but still very good. I have to laugh at mom: "I wouldn't have gotten ice ceam on it, but they don't serve ice cream here". Me: "Yes, they do". Mom: "No, I'm pretty sure they don't". I had to go get a menu which cldearly showed pie a la mode before she would believe me. Next week, mom, next week!

After we left Village Inn, we hit the Office Depot, I had to get some photo paper for Hailey's scrapbook, and then I found some notebooks that would be good for the cemetery books from all thw pictures I've taken at several cemeteries.

Next we hit Kohl's. Mom had a 20% off coupon - and we can't waste those! We got Hailey some fall outfits that we're going to save for her birthday - cute! Then, off to her church to price some more stuff.

You have to wonder about some of the stuff people donate to the church for garage sales. Somebody brought in a bunch of empty glasses from Kwik Shop and QT to sell. For the love of God people, those things are only 49 cents - full of soda! Who is going to buy cups that you're supposed to throw away? I've seen half full make up bottles, parts of tools that don't have the tool included, dirty, filthy things that definitely should have been washed before they were donated, electric appliances without the cords, a vacuum that has no cord and won't stand upright... The list goes on. Steve wants to donate our old TV. I wish he'd just haul the thing to the dump. I feel like if you're going to donate things, they should be in good working order... Apparently he doesn't agree.

I guess as long as it's out of my basement, I don't care. Okay, well, I do feel a little guilty.

I think that's it. Good night, friends.