Can We Replay Today?

The day wasn't so bad - believe me, it was worse for dad.... But let me start at the beginning. Mel called me this morning to let me know she was on her way over to get me. Dad, Mel, and I had discussed that I was going to be in charge of dad's finances from now on. I thought that just might be a good idea since he's going to be in Grand Island. It's not Mel, I distrust, I'll leave it at that. I talked to dad the other day and asked him how much cash he actually had in the house. Last I knew it was a pretty good amount. Well, now he has none. Not one red cent.... Okay, he has a change jar on his dresser, so maybe he has about 10 bucks, but that's about it. So we talked about it and I decided to take over taking care of the funds.

So, Mel woke me up and told me she was on her way over. Cool. I was ready, all except for "putting my leg on" as I refer to bandaging up my ankle and putting on the boot, so we were soon on our way. Went to the credit union and got all the finances straightened out, got a check for the GIVH for Monday and reordered new checks with the correct address on them. Check.

We needed some boxes because we planned on cleaning out dad's closet today and getting rid of the stuff that didn't fit, so we went to U-Haul and got 3 boxes and a new roll of tape. Check

Dad wanted to take us out to lunch for all we've done for him and just to have a good time today, so we went out to Big Fred's. I got my old standard, Phil's Salad, which I couldn't finish, as usual, so I got it in a box to take home. This is important to remember... Check.

Next, we had to go get Sarah's check and get it deposited into her bank for her since she had to work tonight and wanted to get her money into the bank today. Check

We're on the way to Village Pointe, when dad said he had a stomach ache - uh oh... We got out to the shopping center and wouldn't you know it, there was no place to park. We drove around twice while looking for a place, but dad really had to use the restroom, so we stopped at the Theater complex so he could use the bathroom, we dropped him off and said we'd be right back as soon as Mel got Sar's check. We drove around the parking lot 3 more times looking for a close place, but finally decided to just double park in front of the theater, Mel would run down and get Sar's check and we'd be close for dad when he came out. Dad came out all right - he didn't quite make it to the bathroom. Uh oh... But he got himself pretty well cleaned up except for his socks. And his shoes... And the toilet in the theater wouldn't flush and he really didn't make it to the toilet... OMG... I felt horrible for him, but really, when you're a 54-year-old woman, they really frown on you accompanying a 78-year-old man into a public restroom. Dad did mention to the guy at the door that they might want to get a janitor into the men's bathroom... Oh for the love of Pete... Mel got back to the car about then and realized dad hadn't quite made it to the bathroom, so plans to go to the bank were altered a bit. We decided to take dad home to shower and Mel would run the check to the bank for Sarah while I started packing the closet. Check.

When we got to Mel's I grabbed my purse, my empty soda can, the envelope of information for the home, and my salad and finally managed to extricate myself from the back seat, which isn't as easy as it sounds with the damn boot on. I asked Mel to grab my camera bag, but still managed to be the last one in the house. I was walking up the first flight of stairs, from the foyer to the living room, and dad was just rounding the living room stairs, about to go up the second flight to the bedrooms when he lost his balance and fell backward. I don't know how the hell he did it, but he was falling backward down the flight of stairs I was standing on. All I heard was a crack (like I heard when I broke my leg) and I yelled, "DAD!!" at the top of my lungs and dropped the salad, the pop can, and the envelope I was holding in order to grab dad and catch him as he fell - which I did. All 275 pounds of him. I'm going to feel that tomorrow!  All I saw as I caught him was the salad I dropped on the stairs and I remember thinking "Oh my God, he threw up too..." I was very relieved to see it was my salad! Mel was screaming for Missy, who was out on the deck talking on her cell phone, as she was running over to help. Missy was oblivious, while Mel and I tried to get dad up the stairs and onto the living room floor, which we finally did, which was more difficult than it sounds because by this time I realized dad was okay, it wasn't vomit on the stairs, and then I got the darn giggles. I could barely stand up, I'm trying to push dad up the stairs while Mel pulled, and I had to pee so bad, it just struck my darn funny bone. I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe. Double check...

Between Mel pulling and me pushing (It's a good thing dad isn't a Stretch Armstrong doll, or his arms would be 6 feet long...) we finally got him at least onto the living room carpet where we saw that he had cut two of his fingers pretty bad. By that time, Missy had finally realized what was going on and she helped him get to his feet and out into the kitchen to run some cold water over his fingers while Mel ran to get some towels.  I finally made it to the bathroom and by the time I got out, I looked over the railing (cracking my head on the ceiling over the lower staircase - you have to see the house to see what I mean) and saw PeeWee finishing off the salad that was all over the stairs. I can't believe he didn't spend the rest of the afternoon yarking, not exactly good for dog tummies. After cleaning up dad as best we could, from both accidents; and cataloging his injuries (A big gash on one finger on each hand, a cut above his elbow on the right, and a small puncture wound on his right calf), we decided he would need a stitch or two on each finger so I asked Miss if she would take dad to the hospital while Mel and I got the rest of the errands run. She was pissed and dad had to give her 10 bucks for gas, but she did take him. He did end up needing one stitch in each finger. Thanks goodness he has had a tetanus shot recently, so he didn't have to have another one - but I think he would have preferred that to the lidocaine in the finger prior to the stitches!

While they were gone, Mel and I got Sarah's check into the bank and got dad's closet all cleaned out, and one whole dresser cleaned out and everything packed to bring over to my house. Since Mel doesn't have an apartment yet and Missy isn't sure of her future living plans, we storing everything at my house. We've got 2 empty bedrooms in the basement, that way we won't have to pay for storage and if dad gets tired of the shirts and sweats he has packed to wear, we can switch out clothes with him.

About the time everybody got back home and settled in, dad's guardian ad litem showed up with some Very Good News... Dad FINALLY has a court date for his divorce!!! Yahoo!!! It's December 28. Happy Freaking New Year!  Thank God for his GAL, because if we left it up to his divorce attorney, we'd never get anywhere. Although he might be willing to get his butt moving now because dad's expendable income is next to nothing and we're not going to be giving him $500 every other month to do absolutely NOTHING.  Anyway, that was good news, and I was very happy to hear that.


I get so mad at Missy sometimes, I can't believe God let that idiot procreate. And she's done such a stellar job. Not. She told Mel tonight that she was going to spend the weekend at Ray's. I can't believe it. She's been walking around bawling all week because she's going to miss dad soooo much, she wishes he didn't have to go, yet the last 2 days he's home, she goes off to Ray's. Oh, the love is almost palpable, isn't it? Then AJ and his damn wedding. For months dad has been so excited because AJ told him that he was going to wear a tux. Dad has been telling everyone how excited he was that he was going to wear a tux at the wedding. Then AJ tells him sometime during the past week or so that he wasn't going to wear a tux, but a suit. Dad doesn't have a suit. AJ told Mel to take dad out and get him measured and fitted for a suit and AJ would buy him one. So Mel took him out and got him measured and AJ called Mel tonight and told her that he didn't have the money to buy one, so dad would have to get it himself. After I told AJ the other night in an unrelated conversation that dad didn't HAVE any money. And to top it all off, Missy told Mel that AJ couldn't afford the suit IN FRONT OF DAD. How effing stupid can you be? Dad said to never mind, he wouldn't go to the wedding. I found a letter several months ago that AJ wrote to dad, telling him how important he was to AJ, that dad was his "best buddy" and how much AJ loved him - right.... And this is how you treat that person? WTF? I'm so disappointed in Aaron, I really am. I wish I had the money to buy a damn suit, but I sure don't. Even if dad could wear a tux that didn't match the groomsmen or whatever, that would sure be cheaper than having to buy a suit. I wish they'd just freaking elope. And I sure hope they're not expecting a grand wedding present from us.

Well, there's nothing anybody can do about it, you can't fix selfish I guess, just the same as you can't fix stupid. In this family, it's pretty much one in the same. When AJ stiffed Matt for the medical bills when Matt hurt himself out riding Aaron's ATV and he promised to pay for them because his insurance didn't cover anyone else, I didn't think so much about it. He was young, he didn't have a great job, and the bills were expensive, no big deal, but this is reprehensible. This is his GRANDPA for the love of Pete... Ah well, I feel better just venting about it. I just feel so darn bad for dad that I want to smack the shit of just about anybody spawned by that idiot sister of mine.