I am back

I am back from my trip across. It was good to see mum - though she has done something to her other knee and is finding walking really painful. Even with the help of trips to the physio, and doing her exercises (suppsed to be good for sciatica so I may try them) she was still not her usual mobile self. As a result, I spent a lot of my time there running errands for her and doing things she was having trouble doing herself.

One thing I did make sure was that she got some decent meals. Before I went, she mentioned on the phone that she was not eating properly, so I took charge of the cooking.

• Monday - onion beans and bacon for lunch, cold meat mash and fresh veg for dinner
• Tuesday - lunch out
• Wednesday - corned beef cottage pie for dinner

I came home on Thursday, but made sure there was enough cottage pie for her to have at least one more decent meal. I was not going to let her go hungry!

I went to see dad. It was horrible. Apart from his body, there is nothing there that made him my father. He is like a blank slate. He is no longer confused as he was - he is just unresponsive to anything except the basic stimuli, such as being cold or hungry. The afternoon after we went to visit, Social Services assessed him, and they do not know what is the matter either. He is no longer showing signs of Alzheimer's; he is not showing signs of anything. It was as if his mind has just given up trying to get through the fog. So we wait to see what will happen.

The travelling itself as good. My new car was fine - whether fighting through the traffic or coming up the motorway loaded with stuff I had sorted through. The sailing over was a little bouncy - the worst part was ggetting off the boat onto the floating landing stage at Liverpool, as that was moving to a different rhythm from the boat! Coming back, the forecast was bad but there was hardly any movement - I got lucky with the wind.

Interview with the Vampire

Yes - the vampires got me. Before you start running over with stakes and holy water (you can bring the garlic - I love it!), the vampires is what I call the staff at Blood Donors. So I am an armful down and taking it easy.

Dad is now out of hospital and in a nursing home. Social Services are now questioning if he needs a nursing bed (this is important as if he does need one, then they will contribute towards his care). This is despite him arriving on a stretcher and being unable to walk - the parsimony of local government! Mum is going round and round in circles, so I hope I can slow her down a bit when I am over there. She admitted on the phone that she is not cooking, so I am hoping a few days with me as officer i/c catering will help her. My worries are now for her not him.

And the decision has been made - I think I am going to go and see him. I am torn both ways - but I think I have to go and see. Pray for me - this will be hard! I am taking my black suit over to elave it there - I think it will be needed there soon.

What else is new? Not a lot really. I am between the evening and the day (shift). The new car is going well (which is good as I am taking it away next week) I found out that it was registered in the same town that I grew up in - talk about the circles of the world!

And for those of you who look at my webpage - I have added a bit of fanciness. If you want to look, go here, and click on the link to see what has been updated.

And now, the end is nigh...

Dad is in hospital.

He was taken in last week. All mum could tell me is that he had 'something nasty' inside. It turns out that he has a bad infection, but they will not operate because he is so frail. He is on antibiotics and a drip, ands spends most of his time asleep. The latest reports from the hospital is that he poorly but comfortable.

My brother went to see him. He was lying there - almost lifeless. He does not respond and does not know anyone. Mum said it was lamost like he has given up.

I am on standby for a phone-call. I will be over there as soon as it comes. I asked if mum wanted me to go voer there, she said no. I don't think I can face seeing him. He would not know me - he does not know his wife. I don;t want to see him lying there bewteen life and death. He used to be such a dynamic person - taking life and making it fit around him. I was never close to him but I admired him so much. And to see him so helpless - I just could not face it.

This is incoherent rambling - sorry. I will delete it if you like.

The Most Expensive Lightbulb in the World?

Well, maybe...

Driving back from St Luke's eysterday, I thought there was something wrong with the headlights on the car. So, being the good motorist I am, I stopped to check, and sure enough, one of the bulbs was out. At least the sidelight was still working, and so was main beam, but the one I use most had gone. So I drove home in the gloom, hoping that there were no police around to stop me (and there weren't).

So off this morning into Douglas. I knew of a car spares place in upper Douglas, so there I went. Next door is a car showroom, so I had a quick glance through what was in the second-hand section. There was nothing that really caught my eye, so I went in to have a skeet (skeet : n a useful Manx word meaning either gossip (as in "what's the skeet?") or to have a look (as in "to have a skeet")). The salesman tried to sell me a new car, but after a test drive over my usual; route, I was not sure if my internal organs were still in their proper places as the ride was so bumpy! Imagine cycling over corrugated iron.

So I handed the keys back without too much regret, but there was a car that had just arrived, and was not even on the forecourt. 18 months old and only 6,000 miles on the clock. A little bit more than I intended to pay and a little bit more powerful, but it was just what I was looking for. So on Saturday, my poor faithful car goes away and I collect my new one.

Oh by the way - I didn't buy the headlight bulb!

Driven to Distraction?

Dad is going even further. From being the driver for all the family (mum has a licence but has not driven for years), when he went to the hospital yesterday, he could not even remember how to sit in a car. Mum sounded so worn out, even though the appointment was through in an hour. We don't think anything registeresd with dad. He was seeing an eye specialist, and one of the things they needed was a sight test. Dad could not even remember what capital letters were! Please don't let this go on much longer!

A daughter's success

My daughter's results - 4 As, 4 bs and 2 Cs. Roll on the 6th form!

And for those who have missed me - thank you. I have not been in a blogging mood lately. So much has been happening around my life.

As you can see, my daughter got good results in her GCSEs. Academically, people might say she did not do as well as me. I say she has got good, solid results, (A in English, B in Maths) and is going on to the 6th form. When I passed my exams, I had not had a elading role in a pantomime, or joined a street theatre group, nor did I have a girlfriend (boyfriend in her case), so she is a much more rounded person that I was (or may ever be!)

Dad is going downhill so fast. Mum attended a review meeting last week, and the upshot is that the care home he is in now can no longer provide the care he needs. It is a pity, since he was settled there, and the staff thought he was a character. However, over the last few weeks, he has become very aggressive, and they are worried that he could grab another resident and hurt them without meaning to. He is having problems with his catheter, and keeps undressing at all times of the day. So the upshot is that mum, my brother and his wife are going to start searching for a nursing home that can take him. I hope this does not go on too long. It is still wearing mum out, and he has no life at all - just an existence.

So now you know why I have not been around so much. I will try to do better...

I am still here...

Yes I know it has been a long time. In that time my contract came through, so I am now permanent. The only difference that makes is that now I can have paid holidays (and boy, am I ready for them!) My shifts are the same, and I have just finished a full set, and am restarting evenings tonight (you know what I mean). At 4pm, I will make my merry way into work, and do the first of 7 evenings. And then...holiday! I have taken my week of nights off, so that 7 days holiday gives me 12 days off! I hope to do some decorating in that time (I have doors that need painting) but they need good weather as I have to take them off to paint them.

Talking of the weather, what happened to summer? If anyone has seen it, can we have it back please? The weather here has been pretty awful overe the last couple of weeks - rain, drizzle and low cloud. Today is a better day (so my washing is out) and then rain tomorrow. Though the weather man today said summer has been wetter than usual - the third wettest on record.