Misunderstood

 I really do think it's time to have "Gordo 101" with my hubby.
Yesterday's ice cream lesson is just one of many.
The other day Mike was rearranging his home office and it was quite evident that he needed more desk space. So I suggested that he swap his current one with the big wooden desk that Dad's TV sits on.
Problem solved. Right? ... WRONG!
Michael goes into Gordo's room and comes right back out. "He said NO". I asked ... "What do you mean he said no?" My hubby ... repeats ... "he said no ... that I can't take it". So I said " Well that's ridiculous!" Now I am irritated and proceed to march into Gordo's room. " Dad ... there is no reason why we can't can't take this ... you are being selfish!". Then he looks up at me (like a sad puppy) and says ... But it's my TV!"
Oh for Pete sake! ... "OMG Dad ... not the TV ... the desk". He says ... "Pooker Annie ... hell ... I don't give a damn about the desk!" "No worries dad ... Mikey must have misunderstood."

Good to be King!

OK ... so early this morning I was in the bathroom and didn't hear Gordo yelling, but Mikey did. He went running into his room and asked ... "What's the matter Gordon?" He replies ... "Where's my dessert?"
Just as I exited the ladies room ... I heard them talking and burst into the room as Michael was looking at his watch. 
I simply said ... "Ice cream on the way ... Dad". 
My husband thinks we ar

e both nuts, but chimes in ... "You want some cake too?"
Dad ... " No ... just ice cream"
I said to Mike ... as we leave his room. " Welcome to my world "
Then ... later today ... as I am tucking Dad in for his afternoon nap ... he says ... "Pooker Annie ... It's good to be the King".
"Yes dad ... I bet it is"
Bizzaro World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iPad Training ??????

Gordo's been reading a book on "his" (used to be mine) iPad. So he was telling his (lady friend) Dodie all about it on the phone yesterday. I wasn't eavesdropping ... but it's like being on a helicopter launching pad when two half deaf ... old people ... talk on the phone.
Well ... she is coming over to visit us next week and Dad is going to teach her how to use an iPad.
Now ... this ought to be quite the scene ... in that ... his "Apple" expertise can barely handle turning the iPad on and off. Not to mention accidentally hitting the wrong parts of the screen and getting my FB messages or yelling out my name when the battery is under 50%.
So Wednesday's iPad training should provide some great material for next week's Gordo stories.
Have a great day my friends!

Beautiful Day!

People ask me all the time ... when are you going back to work? 
I guess some folks don't realize that this care-giving gig is for as long as Gordo's here. That could be tomorrow or 20 years from now. God is the only one who knows for sure.
Would have to admit that when I originally signed up for this ... I thought it would be short term ... in that Dad was going down hill so fast. But then it became quite apparent that with this old man's will to live and the security he found in his new lifestyle with us ... was paramount ... regarding his overall health.
Sure ... there are times when I get resentful for what we have had to give up in our lives, but I just have a good cry ... then Gordo looks up at me ... wearing his silly Red Sox cap and asks for ice cream after breakfast and I regain my perspective.
If I ever do go back to "work" ... I have a sneaking supsicion that it will be in an entirely different field. 
This whole experience has significantly changed the woman I was almost 2 years ago.
So my friends ... we take one day at a time and every morning that dad and I wake up ... it's a beautiful day!

France Surrenders!

Earlier I posed the question ... What was the 1st movie that made you cry? Well ... that question took a slight turn in Gordo's mind. 
Rather than telling me about a movie ... he remembers the first time he cried.
He was 10 years old and living in a small town in Norwalk, CT. The town was mostly populated by immigrants from all of the world and as such ... folks took the sides of their original countries during WWII.
Dad ... being an only child and very aware of the world's events ... he decided that his favorite country was France. Plus their soilders wore awesome helmets (see photo) and for a 10 year old little boy ... that would have been quite important ;).
In 1940 ... he recalls walking home from school and passing by a window of a store that regulary posted news headlines. That day's headline was FRANCE SURRENDERS! Hitler 's German army now occupies France. 

Little Gordo's heart was crushed and he burst into tears ... as he does while telling me this childhood memory. Heck ... I almost started crying with him.
He dries his eyes and his demeanor changes to anger. "And to this day ... Pooker Annie ... I won't spend a dime for anything made in Germany".
Then ... as though nothing's been said ... he resumes reading his paper.
Gosh ... all I asked about was about a movie. Geez! Poor guy!

The Way We Were

I have a very dear friend named Kim. She periodically drops off DVDs of movies that she thinks Gordo will enjoy.
Yesterday's movie was a huge hit! "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" ... starring his "favorite" ... William Holden.
I asked him afterward if he enjoyed it. He replied ... "yes, but it's a real tear jerker". That turned into a conversation about the first movie that actually made us cry.
Mine ...without question ... was "The Way We Were" ... Starring Streisand and Redford. I was only 10, but remember choking up and the tears streaming down my face. 
Dad is still thinking about his. 

While he delves into his memory bank ... I thought it would be interesting to ask all of you ... What was the 1st movie that made you cry?
I'll post Gordo's as soon as he's chosen one.
Have a great day!

"Et tu, Brute?"

Gordo has been watching movies about the Roman Empire. This morning he tells me that he's particularly interested in Julius Caesar ... as they share a common bond.  Caesar  was murdered on the " Ides of March" ( March 15th) and dad was was born on the "Ides". "That's true ... dad". Then he proceeds with ... "Damned fool should have listened to that soothsayer , who tried to warn him, by saying ... " Beware the Ides of March", but he thought it was nonsense and was consequenty assassinated ". "Yes dad ... but had he heeded that warning ... you wouldn't share your bond. "Good point ...  Pooker Annie."
Thinking we were finished with that topic ... I was about to leave his room when...  he ...pipes up ... "Plus the poor bastard was even betryayed by his friend". The he and I say (at the very same time) ... "Et tu, Brute?"  He lets out a chuckle and simply states ... "Great minds think alike". 
 "True dad ... so true".  

Trippin

Yesterday I could hear Gordo talking to his nurse. I was in the kitchen, but his voice carries and I can hear every word. She was taking his blood and thought it would be funny if he screamed ... like she was hurting him ... just to give me a hard time. He said "Oh no ... she'll come running into my room and trip over something and hurt herself. You know Pooker Annie is quite clumsy." She responds ... "No I did't, but I keep that in mind."
Now ... that's so wrong.
At least he doesn't want me getting hurt. Probably because ... no one else will take care of him.
Still lovin my crazy dad. He is a "trip".

Wacky Bunch!

We make the "Bundy's' look like the "Cleaver" family!

 Love our wacky bunch!

Icing On The Cake

When I post my Gordo stories, they are mostly about the two of us. However there would be no stories to write, if it were not for one amazing person, who affords Dad and I the opportunity to enjoy this time together.
My incredible husband ... Michael! 
He puts up with our craziness daily and never once has he complained.
This man (too) has had his world signicantly interrupted. He gave up our master suite downstairs for Gordo, moved his home office upstairs, because there was a lot and still is commotion going on here daily and he is also the "Go to"  guy every time Dad pushes the wrong buttons on his TV remotes.
He does all the grocery shopping and remembers to get all the crazy little treats that dad "must" have, etc.
All the while making Gordo and I feel loved.
Last night ... Mikey really put the "icing on the cake".  He actually gave Gordo a haircut! Even better ... Dad loved it!
So ... sorry ladies ... but I do believe that I may be the most blessed woman in Harris County, Texas. 
Kisses and Adoration to my fabulous hubby!

Hairy is Scary

Gordo is obsessed with trimming his eye brows, ear hairs and nose hairs. I had to take the scissors away from him over a year ago for fear that his unsteady hands might accidently stab him in the eye or something. And there's NO way I'm going to do it. So I bought him one of those electric nose hair trimmers, but he got too close and cut the inside of his nose. 
Well he had been yapping about some gizmo he saw on TV, so I bought the "Micro Touch Max Hair Remover" ...  their claim is that it's "Safe to the touch". 
Great! Now he can trim all his various hairs ... without hurting himeself. Except that he darn near shaved off both eyebrows, because he has a hard time seeing the white hairs.
So this morning he decides that he wants to dye his eye brows.
OMG ... what's next?
So I run out to Walgreens (after Googling the best methods for doing this) and came home with "Just for Men Mustache and Beard Hair Coloring Kit". Well that didn't work because he barely had any eyebrows left after the "Micro Touch" episode.
I have convinced him to wait a couple of weeks ... let them grow out and we'll try dying them again.
"OK Pooker Annie ...  so can I have some Pecan Sandies? I'm thinking (sure) anything to get off the eyebrow topic.
It's my wonderfully whacky world!

Pouty Face

When my family comes over ... Gordo sulks, because he doesn't have my undivided attention. Just like a spoiled child. 
But I love my kids, grandkids, sister and her kids ... so he has to suck it up.
When they leave ... he becomes the ... very thankful ... obedient Dad ... who I love.
First words this morning were ... "Pooker Annie"... Do you want me to take a shower? (as he gives me grief every time I ask) ... I said ... "No dad ... how about after you read your paper and have breakfast? He replies ... "OK ... but I offered".
I make him cereal for breakfast ... called him ...my little "Cereal Killer" ... he loves that ... and then he tries to bargain with me about desert. He won and ... got ice cream.

An hour later ... I told him it was shower time ... and he actually made a "pouty" face.
"OK ... Dad ... take your shower ...or ... no more ice cream".
He promptly got up!
Nothing like raising a 82 year old toddler.
Hope everyone had a safe holiday

!