He’s 89 and unusually spry for his age. However, he’s developed a shoulder problem which is causing him considerable pain. He trims his own bushes, mows his own lawn (except for when we presuaded him that we could do it during the 100 degree temps in July - are we nuts?) and had the hole dug for the flag before we got up there at 9:00 on the day that we were to finish ‘planting’ the flag pole. Probably a lot of shoulder work in all this activity and he is showing it. He will admit that the pain is affecting his sleep and his mood. However, he is an independent sort and won’t ask for advice or help.
We feel terrible leaving him like this but until he asks for some help, we can’t do much. Needless to say, all reservations can be cancelled and all trip plans can be put aside.
We went out to lunch with him and his ‘girl friend’ though, at 78, Barb might want to be called a ‘woman friend.’ I got a picture of them standing by the new flag pole.
Next was Jack, my brother. We have a TV in our lower level which has not been used all summer - and, as you all know, was not used all winter either. What a waste of a TV. Now, my brother watches TV all the time as he is exercising. He does about 400 sit-ups, countless push-ups, 100 miles on his stationary bike, 20+ miles on his outside bike on the trails around Fort Dodge and other exercises which he executes faithfully. TV sure helps when you are exercising. Thus, we asked him a while back if he would like to borrow the TV over the winter while we were gone.
Monday evening we spoke with him about our visit and asked him if he wanted the TV.
‘No’, he said. ‘I’d enjoy it so much that I’d be mad when I had to give it back to you in the spring when you returned. It would be like havng a ‘hot babe’ and then having to give her up.’
‘But, Jack,’ Gary said, ‘What would you rather have: a hot babe for 6 months and then give her up or no hot babe at all?’
Jack thought then said: ‘I’d rather have a cold shower.’
Ah, well. We had already pretty much decided that we would give him the TV for good but had said a loan in case we changed our minds. ‘Give’ it is and we hauled it up to him in our Jeep.
Gary did all the electrical work in hooking it all up while I worked with Jack on the new phone we had gotten him. And, here’s Jack with his new TV. Sure will be easy to see the TV while he’s exercising. And, of course, he has to mug for the camera.
Home late, showers and cereal for snack before we hit the bed. We did enjoy the moon on the way back.
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