(as regular readers may know, HOTD = Hat O' The Day.)
i have no idea why, but my dad always called that type of hat a *huckle-dee-buck hat.* he had several of 'em over the years. they were usually plaid. most were more garish than this one. more plaid, if you will.
i think this picture may have been taken when he and mom went out to visit my sister in california?
or maybe it was later, when they went out west for his pallidotomy? in any case, when they returned, it soon became apparent that the procedure had failed to help his parkinson's.
that's the only time in my recollection i ever saw him even come close to being depressed.
*The Joe* was the kinda guy who would get up from his umpteenth fall of the day, wipe the blood from his oft-bruised, battered, aching knees and say, "If you have to have a disease, this is the best one to have." and he wasn't kidding. no, he really meant it.
that's all for now, folks. i was gonna tell you about the latest krogerin' adventure, but i've run outta gas for now. oh, ok...but i'll have to make it quick.
mom was out of peanut butter and crackers. so we're off to the grocery store. we ran out of gas on the way. only 3 blocks from a gas station...
uh oh.
mom: "i'll just go with you."
me: thinking to myself: ("3 blocks there, 3 blocks back... withOUT mom... no problem. WITH mom?... an hour... minimum... leave mom here?... sheeeeit!")
about that time a man stopped and asked if we needed help.
he left. he came back. he brought us gasoline. we had no cash. mom tried to write him a check. he told her to write it out to, "Joe."
he left with a useless check. and a smile.
tomorrow: *The Greatest Invention Ever*
Friday, November 2, 2007
HOTD
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Well this one made me cry, brother.
Love you, LA
I can totally relate to the with Mom/without Mom time difference. Nice story, by the way.
thanks.
and what about the option of just leaving her there? for even a short period of time? i still don't know the answer to that one.
(well, maybe i do. be more responsible and check the gas gauge. right?)
Yes, that is a caregiver's dilemma. I was going to say that the only time I leave Mom alone in the vehicle is when I run in to the store here in the nearest small town, (pop. 1500)because I know that it will just be a couple of minutes. Also, she can't figure out how to release the seat belt in the truck, so I figure I'm safe there. Then I realized that I do leave her in the truck when I run in to pay for gas at Fleet Farm in the larger town (pop. 10000), but only because I can see her from the register. In your case, you did the right thing and didn't leave her, for what my opinion is worth. Don't be too hard on yourself, we've all been there in one form or another.
Quit making me cry. I will start billing you for the tissues I use.
What is it with old guys and hats? My dad had a gazillion of them. I am keeping a couple of them and going to hang them up with Mom's hat on the wall.
I miss my Mom and Dad. They were just cute old folks who knew nothing more than just plain old love and decent values. I am trying to hold fast to them as best I can.
PS> your dad's attitude about things reminds me of my dad so much. Always looking at the positive side and refusing to give into the bad stuff. It's a type of "tude I like and try to have in my daily life, just because my dad would want me to have it.
Those WWII guys were tough nuts.
Post a Comment