February 21, 2008

Volume 16






In June of 1985, the Rotterdam made an emergency stop in San Diego. Everyone was amazed at how big she was and how far out into the bay she stuck. Bottom of the page: Three more views of the Rotterdam visitng San Diego that one day.




Duck: Had a catheter kind of day.

Me: Managed to scan another journal. It is truly a boring job. Talked food with G. Speaking of food. Dinner with Carrie tonight at Phil’s BBQ. It’ll be a diet killer, but the company will be golden.

G: He too had a truly boring day and came home sounding like one of the comedians from the Country Channel…good old, car boys network speak. He did take the printer apart, and it appears that it is a cartridge hitting the paper that’s the problem. Looking forward to Phil’s. OOOOOoooooooo.

Work: Padre’s 2008 Schedule.
“They’ve been angry with me all day. I’ve been angry with them.”

He was waiting at the front door for us. Waving.

This time I went off to the nurses station to find out what happened. In detail as I had already figured out the outline. He was wearing an alarm again. My bets were on the fact that they had him in bed, sides up, alarm on because of the catheter.

“I can’t stay in bed all day. If I don’t move I’ll not be able to.” And he won’t.

“Was there a problem with Duck today,” I asked politely of the nurse who usually blows us off. Then after one of those very polite, one sided conversations, I just happened to mention the catheter again, “Can that catheter be changed to a leg bag?” Always humble of course. We wouldn’t presume to suggest anything. For if his moving about with a stationary catheter is the problem, isn’t there a way to make the catheter mobile too.

Hey, I’m the one with the brain damage here.

As we were leaving, they called Duck to his room to change his catheter over to a leg catheter.

G and I talked food over dinner by the bay. Lovely view. Good food. I didn’t cook it…..and it tasted great too. I didn’t have to finish it either.

We talked food for him when I’m off at baseball. We talked food when I am home and not food focuses. You bet “out to eat” isn’t functional. Twenty bucks for two salads and two diet Cokes last night. Nope. Yet, over the last few years I have thrown away vast amounts of veggies and salads. He says he will eat them, but he won’t. I don’t want him eating frozen Weight Watchers meals twice a day. No beef either. What a shame, we love it and he will throw steak or hamburger on the grill when I am not home.

Reality. I have several blocks of games where they play six, have one day off, and then they play another six. On my one day off, will I have the energy to cook much less wake up. I think not. Then again, they may cut out overtime this year and I’ll only work eight hours a day. Did I say something about pigs flying?

Today is another very boring journal scanning day. I’ve written a terrible poem, instead of reading it at the Old Grey Poets Society gathering, I’m going to stay dedicated to getting this truly dreary job done. Yesterday I found delightful images of the kids, Lenora’s graduation from Mesa College, Christmas and Thanksgivings, plus the sadness of Marie’s decline and G’s depression. We didn’t know about depression in those days.

Best of all tho, I found pictures of “Moving Bee.” There are Bee’s sister and dad boxing up the Manhattan beach house. There are pictures of her husband laughing like a kid…delightful. Best of all, there were several photos of her mom when she was fine, before Alzheimers too her away forever.

Maybe today I will find another bit of delight as I start scanning volume 15.

3 comments:

  1. Once again, where would Duck be without you. Trapped in his bed, sides pulled up with an alarm - all for the convenience of the staff, I presume, not the health of the patient. Good work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Mage,

    Good work for Duck...

    Seeing the picture of the Rotterdam brought back a lot of memories to us ,too.

    It must have been after that emergency stop in San Diego that a complete overhaul of the Rotterdam was scheduled for the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

    They announced a cruise starting in Acapulco and going through the Panama Canal, calling at Curacoa,
    and several other stops and ending at the Port of Philadelphia.

    We took advantage of that cruise because it was a very rare trip up through the Delaware Bay and the Delaware River to home (for us).

    The Rotterdam was a beautiful ship and we enjoyed every minute of that cruise...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nancy.........there are all sorts of new links for the Rotterdam. She will be moving to Rotterdam next year and open as a hotel. Yes, she has been saved. Check on Maritime Matters under News. There's a new article about her.

    ReplyDelete

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