July 4th brought fireworks for people everywhere, but inside our home Al was calm the entire day. No tears, no arguing and no complaints of pain. We had family down for a cook out.
I got the day off. My kids did all the cooking and I took care of Al. The kids played at the park and rode their bikes. We listened to big boomers all evening long.
When it got dark the parents set off fireworks here at home. None of us went to the big show in town to watch them. I don’t think Al could hold his head up straight enough to even see them.
I did take Al outside once in the afternoon, and pushed him up and down the street, but he complained of flies and wanted to go back inside. He was content to be spoiled and watch Pawn Stars and his other favorites.
Today it was back to business. I woke up and got Al around. Then I filled his medicine box for the week. Called Hospice for the medications they take care of and our pharmacy for the other medications he needed.
By then it was 10am and I realized I had not taken my diabetic medicine so I took that. I then went about cleaning both bathrooms , sweeping the house, and mopping the tiles. The house was full of flies from everyone running in and out so I killed like I think a zillion of them today. I cleaned the cat box and fed the cat.
By then I had about a half an hour before I was to meet for a business meeting. I had never eaten breakfast so I got around and left for the meeting grabbing something to eat along the way.
I had planned to go to the grocery store to stalk pile for the weekend so I don’t have to take Al out, but that meeting lasted four hours. I was shocked. I had forty-five minutes to spare before Al came home. I hurried and stopped at the Dollar General store and picked up what I needed and scurried home.
After putting them a way I just wanted to lay down and kick my sore feet up but it was time to go outside and meet the bus. He arrives home at 5:50pm but he didn’t get here. 5:10 no Al. I was getting worried then I saw the bus.
It was coming a different way than it usually does but oh well, no big deal right? Well wrong, the bus passed our street. What the ??? The bus continues down the wrong road. I can see it turning down another wrong road.
Finally it comes back around and I have now went down to the end of the street flagging my hands in the air saying, “Over here, over here you dumb bus driver“. He must have heard me because he went down the wrong road again. He repeated these wrong turns three times.
I had had it. I screamed at the top of my lungs and flung my arms like a freaking lunatic. Gee, I hope my shirt didn’t pop up too high and show any womanly parts. I just thought of that. Oh well, if I did, it is over now. Dear God, forgive me for being an idiot today. Amen.
Oh my gosh, he finally saw me. He comes flying down the road and didn’t stop or even slow down over the speed bump. No wonder Al complains of back pain from the ride on the bus.
He gets to our house and gets out and I realize it is a sub driver. He is old, I mean white-haired and wrinkly. Should he still be having a license to drive?
When he looks at me he starts winking. What? Isn’t he a little old to be winking at a young pretty thing like me? lol Oh wait, he isn’t winking, his eye are twitching. Oh well, I got a high for a few minutes thinking I was one hot babe to the old folks.
He explains he got lost, and I am thinking, ya, I noticed. He pats me on the shoulder and laughs and then gets Al out of the bus. I transfer Al to the front seat of the car and am putting the folded wheelchair in the trunk.
I am grunting and groaning from the weight of it when I suddenly hear someone asking me,” Is that pretty heavy?”
I turn around and it is the bus driver. He isn’t helping me at all so I just sort of snickered and took a deep breath, and turning green like the Hulk, I thrust that big old wheelchair in the trunk like it was a bag of cotton.
I flipped the trunk shut and dusting my hands off I turned to the driver and said, “Nope, not at all, it’s a piece of cake.” He smiles and gets back in his bus. I start the car and take Al to a drive in to eat supper and then downtown to a car show.
It was my first time out with him by myself and it wasn’t easy. He choked several time on french fries, so I had to take those a way from him. He finished his sandwich and then struggled with the straw of his drink. I then had to change his brief and when we got to the bathrooms I wondered, which one do I take him into, ladies or mens?
I knocked very firm on the mens door and heard no one so I managed to get the door open and Al inside without any damage. I hurried and changed him and we then got in the car. I took him on to the car show.
He was so excited over this old antique car. He smiled big and I could barely make out what he was saying. I have to add here that for some reason Al’s voice is so much softer today. He has this big red rash around his face. I don’t know what it is from and it goes around his neck. His finger nails weren’t gray like they usually are, they were more of a purple color.
I tried my best to ignore what I was seeing and instead looked a head to see who was hovering around this old car Al loved. I saw an older couple sitting near by, so I locked Al’s breaks and walked over to the people. I asked them if they were the owners of the car and they said yes. I asked, ” Could you do me a big favor? My brother is very ill and doesn’t smile too often but seeing your car he is smiling so big. Could you introduce yourself to him as the owner of this fabulous car?”
They didn’t even blink an eye or hesitate. They were up and over and spent about ten minutes talking to Al all about the car. Al was in heaven, I swear. It was like having a wish from the Wish Foundation granted. He was on cloud nine.
I thanked the couple and then Al and I left. After I got him home he was so sickly looking that I washed him up and changed his brief. I placed him in his lift chair and turned his favorite station on, but with in a few minutes he was asleep. I am so glad I took him. It hurt me physically with the lifting of his chair but it was worth that huge smile. Thank-you God for the little things in life.
Here are some photos of last night at my house with my family.
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