By Kevin
I called Dad on Thursday to see if he was keen on coming down to Milpitas Friday night to spend the weekend. He said he thought he would, so I drove to work at Alameda on Friday, then drove to El Cerrito after work.
Sometimes Dad wants to go out to dinner, but he said he wasn't hungry, so we headed to Milpitas. But as we were leaving, I didn't see his pill box in his case with his toothbrush and shaver. He said he had his pills, but I went to the dining room table and picked up the weekly pill box and put them in his case.
On the way, I asked him if he would like to stop for dinner, but he said whatever I wanted to do. I wasn't feeling hungry, and thought I could make him something at home. At home, I showed him a pizza and Lean Cuisine and he chose the pizza, which he ate most of while we watched the World Series. It was getting late at the 12th inning, so we decided to go to sleep, later finding out that it turned out to be the longest World Series game.
Late Saturday morning I went to a county-wide training for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). I've been a member of the Milpitas CERT for about a year. It was a 3 hour training that covered search and rescue, medical treatment, and command post management. It was very good training with many dedicated CERT members and experienced mentors.
Margaret took Katie and Dad to Costco to have them work on one of Dad's hearing aids (we had tried replacing the batteries). They were able to repair it (clean the wax out) and since we had gone to Costco several times to repair it, I thought it would be better to have the device they used, if it was inexpensive. It's a dehumidifier that turns the wax into a powder that's easy to remove, and I found one on Amazon for us to get. We'll either have it at Dad's if he would prefer, or have it at our house and use it when he visits.
When I came home Dad was watching a college football game. When it was over I looked for the Cal Bear game, and we watched that. It turned out to be a great game with Cal getting an upset win over Washington. Then it was time for the World Series game, and we joked about all the sports we were watching.
On Sunday Dad had coffee at the table on our backyard deck and enjoyed the great weather. Margaret did some shopping, including for Dad, and then made Tuna salad sandwiches for all of us, which we ate on the deck.
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) is closing all their stores (we're very sad to see them go) so we decided to see if they had anything we needed. Dad said he would join us. They had a 12' x 10' aluminum gazebo we had been admiring for about a year, and 50% off was a great deal. We won't assemble it this year, since we wouldn't use it much, but we're looking forward to having it next year.
Margaret had set the 49er game to record, so when we got home we watched it. In the 4th quarter, when the 49ers had a comfortable lead, and not much time was left, I worried that they might lose since they seemed to lose steam in the 4th quarter. Sure enough, they lost. I'm considering taking a break from the 49ers the rest of the year.
After the game I drove Dad home with Katie joining us (she wanted to go to Mel's Diner for dinner, but we went to In-N-Out on the way home). We put the groceries that Margaret bought in the refrigerator. I wrote a couple of checks to pay Dad's bills (using the stamp for the signature). I also found that he was only putting 1 pill each day for the pill box when some days he should have 1 1/2. I fixed those, and also taped the amount each day to the hutch in the dining room. Dad said it was okay to put it there, but we'll see how long it lasts. I just hope it's kept somewhere.
Dad was confused by one bill that said, "No Payment Due" since he had apparently overpaid. He handed the bill to me a couple of times, and I explained that he didn't need to pay, then I put the bill in the "Paid Bills" envelope. He also thought he should pay the property taxes for the cabin and house, but I pointed out those 2nd payments were due next year, and put the bills in the drawer with his checkbook. I'm going to talk with him about having automatic bill pay, and we can print the monthly statements so he can see.
Until next time.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Monday, October 15, 2018
Howard Update 10/15
By Kevin
I had dinner with Dad Friday night after driving from work in Alameda (about 45 minutes with traffic). First we stopped by his bank so he could deposit the rent check from his tennant, and take out some money. Then we went to one of his favorite restaurants, Fatapple’s. He couldn’t remember the name, but when he said it was “up the hill” I knew what he meant. I was impressed by how well Dad was using his right hand that was injured. He picked up his water glass with just his right hand, and used his right hand to eat. I mentioned it and he said he was able to use it much more. He has been doing the physical therapy exercises his therapists have recommended.
When we arrived at my home, I showed Dad the new hand grip I had installed near our front steps to make it easier for him to walk up them. He really liked it, and thought I didn’t need to install one on the other side as I had planned.
Saturday morning Margaret made pancakes and we all, including Katie, who usually doesn’t like being outside due to her fear of insects, ate them sitting outside on our deck since the weather was so nice. We left at 1pm for Costco for Dad’s hearing aids to be examined at 2pm. Margaret had made the appointment, and planned to shop while Dad and I were at the hearing aid center. One hearing aid wasn’t working, and we thought it would be good to check the other. While Katie and I waited, the audiologist cleaned both Dad’s hearing aids and Dad said they were working fine. The audiologist recommended that we have the hearing aids cleaned periodically, which we’ll plan to do when he comes down to visit us.
When we got home, Dad and I decided to watch the Cal game. We were disappointed by Cal’s performance, to say the least. Margaret made spaghetti, and we watched the end of Mama Mia! when Dad saw it was playing. Katie has a thing about the movie “The Shining,” and wanted to know if Dad would want to watch it (it’s on Netflix). I asked her to ask him, and he said no. He’s not a fan of horror movies.
Margaret and I talked with Dad about Thanksgiving week, and that Margaret and I will be taking vacation Monday through Wednesday. We invited him to come down early in the week for Thanksgiving festivities. He liked the idea.
Sunday morning we had our coffee with an apple strudel Margaret had bought. Then Dad and I took Buster to the Milpitas Dog Park. Dad likes watching the dogs and the hang gliders and paragliders that practice and takeoff and land in view of the dog park. There were no dogs in the small dog area of the dog park when we arrived, but a few showed up, and Buster played with one by letting it chase him. I’m glad I was able to take some video.
Dad was meeting a friend at Dad’s house at 2:30pm Sunday, which I reminded him about, so I drove him home. His friend invited him to go to the reunion of El Cerrito High class of 1959. When we arrived at Dad’s I helped him get dressed (I reminded him that his friend was arriving soon, and he might want to change). I cleaned out his refrigerator of expired food while he finished getting dressed and waited for his friend. After half an hour, we thought he might not be coming, but Dad didn’t have his number, and Dad’s answering machine had been full for a few days, so he couldn’t have left a message. I checked Dad’s phone’s list of missed calls and found his friend’s name, so we called him. His wife answered and said that Dad’s friend had planned to have lunch with Dad, but when Dad didn’t answer, he decided to just go to the reunion.
I helped Dad pay some bills by writing out the checks, which is still a little difficult for him to do, then using his signature stamp to sign them (he got the stamp when his right hand was so badly injured that he couldn’t write with it). I put the letters in a mailbox on my way home.
I saw that his prescription was running out so I ordered a refill, wrote when it would be available on his calendar, and told him about it. I will also call the caregiver Wednesday morning to let him know. I also left a paper with his current daily dosages so the caregiver knows how much to put in his weekly pill box.
I helped him put together a grocery list for the caregiver to get, or get when going with Dad to the store. Dad likes to browse, and will see things like donut holes that he gets.
I also played the messages on his answering machine to show him that he had messages. He thought he didn’t have any messages, but he didn’t have any new messages. It seems that he’s forgotten how to erase messages after he hears them. Another task we’ll need to do when we visit him. I set a code on his answering machine so I can use it remotely. That way when he is visiting us I can check his messages with him, and delete old messages.
Except for Dad missing the reunion, and Cal’s poor football performance, it was a very good weekend of both fun and tasks completed.
I had dinner with Dad Friday night after driving from work in Alameda (about 45 minutes with traffic). First we stopped by his bank so he could deposit the rent check from his tennant, and take out some money. Then we went to one of his favorite restaurants, Fatapple’s. He couldn’t remember the name, but when he said it was “up the hill” I knew what he meant. I was impressed by how well Dad was using his right hand that was injured. He picked up his water glass with just his right hand, and used his right hand to eat. I mentioned it and he said he was able to use it much more. He has been doing the physical therapy exercises his therapists have recommended.
When we arrived at my home, I showed Dad the new hand grip I had installed near our front steps to make it easier for him to walk up them. He really liked it, and thought I didn’t need to install one on the other side as I had planned.
Saturday morning Margaret made pancakes and we all, including Katie, who usually doesn’t like being outside due to her fear of insects, ate them sitting outside on our deck since the weather was so nice. We left at 1pm for Costco for Dad’s hearing aids to be examined at 2pm. Margaret had made the appointment, and planned to shop while Dad and I were at the hearing aid center. One hearing aid wasn’t working, and we thought it would be good to check the other. While Katie and I waited, the audiologist cleaned both Dad’s hearing aids and Dad said they were working fine. The audiologist recommended that we have the hearing aids cleaned periodically, which we’ll plan to do when he comes down to visit us.
When we got home, Dad and I decided to watch the Cal game. We were disappointed by Cal’s performance, to say the least. Margaret made spaghetti, and we watched the end of Mama Mia! when Dad saw it was playing. Katie has a thing about the movie “The Shining,” and wanted to know if Dad would want to watch it (it’s on Netflix). I asked her to ask him, and he said no. He’s not a fan of horror movies.
Margaret and I talked with Dad about Thanksgiving week, and that Margaret and I will be taking vacation Monday through Wednesday. We invited him to come down early in the week for Thanksgiving festivities. He liked the idea.
Sunday morning we had our coffee with an apple strudel Margaret had bought. Then Dad and I took Buster to the Milpitas Dog Park. Dad likes watching the dogs and the hang gliders and paragliders that practice and takeoff and land in view of the dog park. There were no dogs in the small dog area of the dog park when we arrived, but a few showed up, and Buster played with one by letting it chase him. I’m glad I was able to take some video.
Dad was meeting a friend at Dad’s house at 2:30pm Sunday, which I reminded him about, so I drove him home. His friend invited him to go to the reunion of El Cerrito High class of 1959. When we arrived at Dad’s I helped him get dressed (I reminded him that his friend was arriving soon, and he might want to change). I cleaned out his refrigerator of expired food while he finished getting dressed and waited for his friend. After half an hour, we thought he might not be coming, but Dad didn’t have his number, and Dad’s answering machine had been full for a few days, so he couldn’t have left a message. I checked Dad’s phone’s list of missed calls and found his friend’s name, so we called him. His wife answered and said that Dad’s friend had planned to have lunch with Dad, but when Dad didn’t answer, he decided to just go to the reunion.
I helped Dad pay some bills by writing out the checks, which is still a little difficult for him to do, then using his signature stamp to sign them (he got the stamp when his right hand was so badly injured that he couldn’t write with it). I put the letters in a mailbox on my way home.
I saw that his prescription was running out so I ordered a refill, wrote when it would be available on his calendar, and told him about it. I will also call the caregiver Wednesday morning to let him know. I also left a paper with his current daily dosages so the caregiver knows how much to put in his weekly pill box.
I helped him put together a grocery list for the caregiver to get, or get when going with Dad to the store. Dad likes to browse, and will see things like donut holes that he gets.
I also played the messages on his answering machine to show him that he had messages. He thought he didn’t have any messages, but he didn’t have any new messages. It seems that he’s forgotten how to erase messages after he hears them. Another task we’ll need to do when we visit him. I set a code on his answering machine so I can use it remotely. That way when he is visiting us I can check his messages with him, and delete old messages.
Except for Dad missing the reunion, and Cal’s poor football performance, it was a very good weekend of both fun and tasks completed.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
10/13
Saturday morning breakfast!! It is a beautiful October morning in Milpitas.
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| Miss Teenager doesn't like her picture being taken. |
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| Got my iced coffee. |
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