Sun Shinning Faces

Each morning as I go into Gordo's room to help him get up fo the day ... I am followed by two of his biggest fans. Carly (my black lab) and Beau (my orange Persian cat). So this morning I announced ... "Dad ... your fan club has arrived! Then he bursts into song ... "We're all in our places with sun shinning faces". 
Oh good! He's in a great mood this morning!
I made him a special breakfast sandwhich. Afterwards I went to collect his dirty plate and he had only eaten 3/4's of it. So I asked him if he didn't like it. His ... reply ... "Pooker Annie ... I'm just saving room for ice cream. I figure for every day that I make it to another ... I deserve a treat. Don't you think so?"
"I absolutely agree ... how many scoops ... Dad?" He answers " only two".
Now ... that's a great start for the day!

Off with her Head!

Gordo is really starting to have memory issues. At first it made me very sad, but now at least he feels comfortable with telling me that he can't remember certain things. If I don't know the answer, I try my best to find it.
So it was no surprise when he woke up this morning, that the first words out of he mouth were ... "Pooker Annie ... I can't remember the name of Henry the VIII's 2nd wife ... you know ... Elizabeth's mother." ... "Yes dad ... it was Anne Bolelyn. He says ... "Oh yes ... she wouldn't just sleep with Henry ... she had him make her his queen". Then I replied ... "Yes and she paid a high price for that ... got her head chopped off ... well actually the executioner didn't use an axe ... she WAS the queen, so Henry had ordered that they use a sword ... as it was a quicker ... clean cut. In fact when she was about to set her neck on the block ... someone called her name to distract her and as she turned to look ... the sword came dicing down ... I guess it was their way of being humane. (lol).
Then he looks at me and seriously asks ... Wow ... how did you know all that? I just answered ... "I had a great teacher" ... and I winked. It was a bittersweet moment for both of us.

One GIANT Leap!

About a year ago Gordo was telling my granddaughter ... Presley that he was 81. She was 5 and simply piped up ... "So is Neil Armstrong!"
My dad was like ... Really? She was busy coloring, but replied ... "Yes".
So ... I had to know for sure. Googled it and Presley was absolutely correct.
She learned that in kindergarten.
Now she can tell Papa Cave that he has outlived the first man on the moon!
RIP ... Mr. Armstrong. You gave us one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. Thank you.

Bella! Bella! Bella!

Gordo woke up this morning at 4:30 ... awake and ready to get on with the day. That was special, but how could I get mad ... he is like a small child who has no sense of time.
So I handed him his book and told him that it was still early, but when his newspaper arrived ... I'd run right in with it. He looked at me and said "Pooker Annie" for God sake don't run ... you're not exactly graceful. All I could think to say was ... "Geez Dad ... at least I'm not as clumbsy as Bella" (referring to the lead female of the Twilight series). He retorts ... no one is that clumbsy ... well ... until you become a vampire. So I jokingly said ... when I become a "vampire" I'm going to visit you first. All I got back in response was .... "Oh Pooker Annie ... you're so silly" and he returned to his book.
Just love starting my days with Gordo.

Dodging Bullets

Gordo is home and resting comfortably.
Thanks to the stellar folks  at Methodist West Hospital who have ... again helped ... as dad puts it ... "dodge another bullet".
Thanks to all of you who always support our journey with Gordo. You have no idea how truly appreciative me and my family are for the kind words, prayers and well wishes.
God Bless,
Cora

Comedy Show

Gordo is still in the hospital, but feeling so much better.
He was very animated yesterday. In fact when I left ... he and his young nurse ... Richard ... were having an indepth conversation about the "Twilight" books and "True Blood" series and if dad would rather be a vampire or a werewolf. 
He keeps the staff very entertained and because he's been there so many times in the past year ... that the prior nurses ... who hear he's back ... have come into his room to say "Hi". 
Gordo's a regular celebrity at Methodist West Hospital.
Hopefully we will get the green light to come home today.
Sorry folks at Methodist ... I'm taking your comedy act home for a while. ;)
Have a super day my friends!

Give Me Strength

Poor Gordo's back in the hospital. Got very sick (this time) with shakes , high blood pressure, elevated heart rate and blood clots in his urine.
I really had an emotionally hard time ... this go round, but my sister came to the rescue and took charge.
Love her so much! Thanks Liz!
So after a very challenging day at the ER ... he is now stable and in his own room resting.
My brain know things will get worse over time ... as he has so many health issues, but my heart still hurts when I see him suffer. All I can do is pray to God that he gives me the strength (Chinese symbol for strength attached) to handle this ... without Dad knowing how my heart is breaking.

But true to his spirit ... he asked me this afternoon ... "Pooker Annie" ... how come I always get these infections? (his short term memory gets a little hazy). I told him that the catheter that he wears keeps him alive, but the down side is the terrible infections. To which he replies ... guess it's a small price to pay for the alternative.
OMG ... this man is so amazing.
Love you Dad!

Watch What You Ask For?

Yesterday Gordo blurts out the most random thought. " Hey Pooker Annie ... you know that beautiful Anniston girl is getting married? ... I reply ...  No dad ... I didn't. Then he says ... You know she was married to Brad Pitt? ... I answer ... "Yes ... I knew that". Thinking to myself  ... where is he going with this?  His next question is ...  " You know why Brad and Anniston got divorced?"  "No ... dad why?"  ...  "Because he wanted kids and she didn't". Then he proceeds ... " so he married that crazy woman who has tons of children with that "poor bastard" (his line for pitying men)... so I guess he got what he asked for".  I comment ... "It would appear so".  Now I'm intrigued as to his story's point. But ... he just resumes reading his newspaper.
"Wait a minute ... Dad ... is there more to the story?" He looks up and simply states ... " No ... not really ... just thought you should know."
OK ... then. "Now I know ... thanks" ... chuckle.
Who knew Gordo was so into Hollywood gossip?
Have a great day my friends.

Man on the Flying Trapeze

Gordo is getting a trapeze that goes over his bed to assist him with getting up.
So I started singing ... "He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease, That daring young man on the flying trapeze. " Then Dad chimes in ... "Once I was happy, but now I'm forlorn. So I ask " Why is he forlorn? " He says ... "I guess he fell off his trapeze". 
I chucked and said ... "surely not". Dad: "I think so Pooker Annie". So I Googled the original song lyrics and printed them out. All 12 Verses. 
The gist of it is ... a man is singing about how his love left him for the man on the flying trapeze.
So of course Gordo sang the song in it's entirety to me this morning and all he had to say afterwards was ... "That poor bastard" .

I just laughed and handed him his newspaper.
For those who even care ... here is a link to the lyrics.
http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/t/themanontheflyingtrapeze.shtml
Have a super day!

Jesus Loves Me

If anyone were to listen to the conversations Gordo and I have ... they would lock the two of us up.
Thought about this yesterday.
I bought Dad a bookmark from the dollar store. It's a huge one with a big white tassel that reads ...  Jesus Loves You! Which is sort of funny in that Gordo is not "overly" religious. 
He misplaces it constantly and will (seriously) yell out things like  ..."Pooker Annie"  ... "I can't find Jesus". I say things like  ... "No worries ... Jesus wouldn't have left you ... we'll find him". However ... I really believe it and Dad just wants to find his bookmark. In a weird way (hope I haven't offended anyone) ... it's my way of sharing my beliefs with him.
Well he lost Jesus again yesterday ... and as usual ... I go running into his room. Of course it's in the book he's reading ... but towards the back. So I said " See Dad ... Jesus is never far away. He Loves You!" 
As I'm leaving his room ... Gordo breaks out into song and loudly sings " Jesus loves me ... this I know,  cause the Bible tells me so, etc". 
I looked up, winked at God and went to get Gordo some Häagen-Dazs®
God blesses all of us.
Have an amazing day my friends! 

Alka-Seltzer Time

I should have known better than to recently say to my sister ... how healthy I've been since Gordo moved in. Because now ...of course ... I feel a head cold coming on.
Just praying that Dad's immune system is functioning well.
Now it's time for ... Alka Seltzer Colds Plus. 
Have a great weekend my friends and stay well.

Invasion of Normandy

Gordo has been yapping about wanting to watch "The Longest Day". It is a movie classic starring many old movie stars and is about the events of D-Day ... told from both the Allied and German points of view. 
I found the DVD at the library, so he happily watched it yesterday.
Well 2 hours passed ... then ... 2 1/2 hours passed and it was going on 3 ... when I finally went into his room and put the movie on pause and (jokingly) said " Good grief ... Dad ... the name of this movie should be called "The LONGEST movie". Then I get that (what are you ... an idiot?) look and he snaps ... "Pooker Annie ... well ... they have to invade Normandy! Now ... please put the movie back on. Well ... needless to say ... I did exactly that and left his room ... giggling to myself ... what the heck was I even thinking ... making such a stupid comment?
He cracks me up!
Have a great weekend my friends.

Gatsby

I mentioned the other day that Gordo was watching the Great Gatsby.
That brings back fond memories of Dad and me ... when I was a little girl ... many "hair dyes" ago.
He always tried to expose me to things beyond my years. One of those experiences included him taking me (all by myself) to an afternoon matinee to see "The Great Gatsby". We were 2 of 4 people in the entire theater.
I was only 11 years old ... but absolutely fell in love with Robert Redford and still am today. Sorry Mikey ;)
In fact ... Leonardo DiCaprio is playing Gatsby in this year's re-make. But he will NEVER even come close to filling Redford's sexy shoes.
Just one chicks opinion.
Have a great day!