Most of you know that Cindy and I live in the same house with her Dad, we left New Mexico and moved to California to take care of her parents back in 2009, Sleeping In A U Haul goes into it a little more detail about our move.
We lost Cindy's Mom back in 2011 and still take care of her Dad. Some days are not so easy but most of the time things can be pretty comical, here is a sample of a few of our experiences that I find amusing, mostly exchanges between Cindy and her Dad. He loves giving her a hard time, but believe it or not, I know he still sees her as Daddy's little girl.
Cindy asked her Dad, "Hey Dad, what would you like for supper?"
You know, you really should make some homemade soup.
Homemade Soup?
Yeah homemade soup, it's good for you, and it's good for old people too.
Not when it's 110 degrees outside!
Well the way I see it is, I'm not going to be outside eating it!
But...
And you won't be outside making soup either!
OK then, I'll make soup.
That's good because I like soup.
Cindy goes to the pantry and takes inventory, she is making a list of items she needs from the store, and in the process accidentally drops a can on the floor.
From the living room her Dad yells, "Crash, what did you break now?" Cindy steps from the area back where the pantry is located and walks into the kitchen before she replies.
Because if she doesn't he won't hear her, he is really hard of hearing and tells us "I don't want to waste money on hearing aids." We have had this conversation with him more than once about hearing aids, according to him "hearing aids are a waste of money"
Dad hearing aids will help you hear what is going on around you, you can hear what people are saying to you, and you won't have to turn the TV up so loud. He replies, "Maybe I don't want to hear what people are saying, did you ever think of that?"
OK what about the TV, you have to turn it up so loud to hear it. Wouldn't it be nice not to need to turn the volume up so high? He ponders this briefly and comes back with "I can turn the volume up a damn sight cheaper than I can pay for hearing aids".
It's OK Dad, Jimmy and I will pay for your hearing aids, "I can pay for my own hearing aids if I wanted them, besides what are you going to do if you pay for hearing aids for me and then I croak" you are not going to croak Dad "I just might croak if you buy me hearing aids when I don't want them, that'll show you".
We didn't buy any hearing aids, but did invest in a set of "as seen on TV" "TV Ears" these things are great, Dad can wear them and hear the TV just fine, the volume of the TV can be turned down to where Cindy and I can actually hear one another and hear the TV too.
Dad likes to mess with us, he will continue turning the volume down, "Can you hear that?" Yes Dad, "can you hear it now?" "can you hear it now?" "can you hear it now?" kind of like the old Verizon commercial where Paul is asking can you hear me now and the monkey is nodding his head in response.
Cindy's Dad does this until we can no longer hear the TV, then he smiles and while pointing to his TV ears unit says, "I can hear it just fine", this is usually when Cindy takes the remote from him, he looks at her like she really hurt his feelings, then when she looks away, he sits there and laughs so hard he is shaking in his chair.
The TV ears worked out so well he wanted another set for his bedroom, he told us "so I won't disturb you at night when I want to watch TV" so we invested in another set, I got them hooked up and now he can hear at least two TVs just fine, the only problem now is he leaves the units on the charger "I don't want to run the batteries down, in case something comes on I really want to hear"
Now the TV is back to full volume, and just last night there were enough decibels coming out of his room to match the last NASCAR race we saw live and in person, but that's OK our room is on the opposite side of the house, Cindy just turns her volume up, and because her volume is up I simply stick my fingers into my ears so I can concentrate on my book.
"How in the world did you smash your hand?"
I didn't smash my hand Dad I just dropped a can,
"hand?"
No Dad I dropped a can,
"Well come here and let me see"
The can?
"No your hand I want to see what you did"
I dropped a can, Dad
"Well you should be more careful, it could have landed on your foot"
Cindy gathers up her pocketbook and keys, then grabs her grocery list, and says OK guys I'll be right back.
Her Dad asks, "OK honey, where are you going?"
I'm going to the store.
"Why are you going to the store, it's 110 degrees outside"
I need a few things for your soup.
"You really don't have to make soup today you know."
Dad you told me that you wanted soup so I'm making soup.
"It makes no difference to me what you make"
Well I'm making soup.
Cindy turns and walks toward the door, just as he says "that's good, because I like soup".
We lost Cindy's Mom back in 2011 and still take care of her Dad. Some days are not so easy but most of the time things can be pretty comical, here is a sample of a few of our experiences that I find amusing, mostly exchanges between Cindy and her Dad. He loves giving her a hard time, but believe it or not, I know he still sees her as Daddy's little girl.
 |
| Cindy's Dad and Cindy (one of my favorites) |
You know, you really should make some homemade soup.
Homemade Soup?
Yeah homemade soup, it's good for you, and it's good for old people too.
Not when it's 110 degrees outside!
Well the way I see it is, I'm not going to be outside eating it!
But...
And you won't be outside making soup either!
OK then, I'll make soup.
That's good because I like soup.
Cindy goes to the pantry and takes inventory, she is making a list of items she needs from the store, and in the process accidentally drops a can on the floor.
From the living room her Dad yells, "Crash, what did you break now?" Cindy steps from the area back where the pantry is located and walks into the kitchen before she replies.
Because if she doesn't he won't hear her, he is really hard of hearing and tells us "I don't want to waste money on hearing aids." We have had this conversation with him more than once about hearing aids, according to him "hearing aids are a waste of money"
Dad hearing aids will help you hear what is going on around you, you can hear what people are saying to you, and you won't have to turn the TV up so loud. He replies, "Maybe I don't want to hear what people are saying, did you ever think of that?"
OK what about the TV, you have to turn it up so loud to hear it. Wouldn't it be nice not to need to turn the volume up so high? He ponders this briefly and comes back with "I can turn the volume up a damn sight cheaper than I can pay for hearing aids".
It's OK Dad, Jimmy and I will pay for your hearing aids, "I can pay for my own hearing aids if I wanted them, besides what are you going to do if you pay for hearing aids for me and then I croak" you are not going to croak Dad "I just might croak if you buy me hearing aids when I don't want them, that'll show you".
We didn't buy any hearing aids, but did invest in a set of "as seen on TV" "TV Ears" these things are great, Dad can wear them and hear the TV just fine, the volume of the TV can be turned down to where Cindy and I can actually hear one another and hear the TV too.
Dad likes to mess with us, he will continue turning the volume down, "Can you hear that?" Yes Dad, "can you hear it now?" "can you hear it now?" "can you hear it now?" kind of like the old Verizon commercial where Paul is asking can you hear me now and the monkey is nodding his head in response.
Cindy's Dad does this until we can no longer hear the TV, then he smiles and while pointing to his TV ears unit says, "I can hear it just fine", this is usually when Cindy takes the remote from him, he looks at her like she really hurt his feelings, then when she looks away, he sits there and laughs so hard he is shaking in his chair.
The TV ears worked out so well he wanted another set for his bedroom, he told us "so I won't disturb you at night when I want to watch TV" so we invested in another set, I got them hooked up and now he can hear at least two TVs just fine, the only problem now is he leaves the units on the charger "I don't want to run the batteries down, in case something comes on I really want to hear"
Now the TV is back to full volume, and just last night there were enough decibels coming out of his room to match the last NASCAR race we saw live and in person, but that's OK our room is on the opposite side of the house, Cindy just turns her volume up, and because her volume is up I simply stick my fingers into my ears so I can concentrate on my book.
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| Dad and Cindy on Sunday |
OK back to the soup, Cindy had just walked into the kitchen before replying, I didn't break anything Dad, I just dropped a can,
"How in the world did you smash your hand?"
I didn't smash my hand Dad I just dropped a can,
"hand?"
No Dad I dropped a can,
"Well come here and let me see"
The can?
"No your hand I want to see what you did"
I dropped a can, Dad
"Well you should be more careful, it could have landed on your foot"
Cindy gathers up her pocketbook and keys, then grabs her grocery list, and says OK guys I'll be right back.
Her Dad asks, "OK honey, where are you going?"
I'm going to the store.
"Why are you going to the store, it's 110 degrees outside"
I need a few things for your soup.
"You really don't have to make soup today you know."
Dad you told me that you wanted soup so I'm making soup.
"It makes no difference to me what you make"
Well I'm making soup.
Cindy turns and walks toward the door, just as he says "that's good, because I like soup".
Love the soup exchange. I've had these kinds of conversations with my dad and you've got to see the humor in them. Cindy's a good daughter and her dad couldn't have a better son-in-law. Not all spouses are supportive in your situation.
ReplyDeleteTV Ears saved my sanity with my husband. Best invention ever for people who won't wear hearing aids. My husband did wear his every day but he still used the TV Ears.
Hello Jean, I agree we all should have a sense of humor with our lives, it keeps us all happy if we can at least laugh at ourselves sometimes.
DeleteAren't those TV ears amazing? They do work really well, Cindy's brother was so impressed when he saw them that he ordered a set for himself.
Great exchange and dialogue. I like soup even when it's hot outside (but I also have been known to cook on the back patio as there is no need to make the AC work extra hard--this was true a week before I left for Scotland, when I canned salsa, pickles and relish. No need to heat up the house with large pans of boiling water when I can do it with a campstove outside.
ReplyDeleteHey Sage, Very good advice Sir, cooking outside during warm weather is the thing to help keep the house cool, I use the grill for a lot of our cooking during the summer, even have a griddle that works really good when cooking fish.
DeleteGood to see you Sage, your trip to Scotland sounds really good so far.
This could easily be dialog for a TV sit com.
ReplyDeleteHey Joe, sometimes I think we are living a sit com, it works well for a lot of laughs.
DeleteI can sure relate with this and DH. I bought him the TV ears - they have been thrown in some corner...
ReplyDeleteHello Sharon, They really do work well, but like Cindy's Dad and DH both you have to use them for the sound to come through ;)
DeleteWell, my mom does have hearing aids and she still claims they were a waste of money!
ReplyDeleteHey Bijoux, We should get your Mom and Cindy's Dad together to discuss hearing aids, we could probably write many posts on this exchange of ideas, it's funny he was off on a rant about them to his brother just yesterday, I just sit and listen.
DeleteWhat kind of soup did she make? French bread too. I love the exchange. Enjoy them while you can. They never last long enough.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Hi Sandee, It was Vegetable Beef with enough variety of vegetables to make anyone happy, we actually ended up eating it for about three days and Dad was not happy when it was gone, it was really good.
DeleteYes time does move along quicker than we like sometimes, it doesn't seem like Cindy's Mom has been gone as long as she has already, and my Parents are aging also and living on the opposite coast makes that one hard too.
What a pair! Cindy's a wonderful daughter. The son-in-law's not so bad either.
ReplyDeleteThank you Abby, I appreciate you my Dear Friend.
DeleteThat's one thing I remember about my dad, the constant sound of NASCAR on the TV. Which sucked because we only had one TV at the time.
ReplyDeleteHey Adam, that is the drawback of having only one TV, you watch whatever the person controlling the TV wants.
DeleteHe's got a wicked sense of humour.
ReplyDeleteHello Delores, His sense of humor is sharp and quick, he will keep you laughing.
DeleteAre you sure this wasn't an episode from Seinfeld?
ReplyDeleteHey Fran, No mam this one was an episode right here ha ha, if it was on Seinfeld he stole it from Cindy and her Dad before they did it.
DeleteIt's good you all have a good sense of humor. Your father-in-law sounds like a real hoot. My father couldn't hear very well, either, but perish the thought of hearing aids. He preferred running the TV at such a high volume, the people living in the next neighborhood could hear it. Anyhow, years ago, I told my parents about a co-worker's 13 year-old daughter having VD, to which he snorted and in a holier-than-thou voice replied, "I bet she smokes, too!" (He thought I said TB.)
ReplyDeleteHey Susan, That happens here too, isn't it funny how you can say one thing and they hear something completely different, then they completely turn the conversation right before your eyes and take it to a completely different subject before you know it.
DeleteThis is very, very familiar. I am so glad that the TV ears worked - and loved the father/daughter exchanges.
ReplyDeleteMy partner's father was very deaf. He did get hearing aids, but didn't wear them so they wouldn't wear out. And the television lived at painful decibels.
Hello EC, I think this is a common occurrence among us all, I know one day the kids will be talking about me blasting the TV and refusing to wear my hearing aids ha ha.
DeleteIt is probably so familiar because we all go through similar situations with our loved ones, like your partner's father most likely gave you the same experiences we are getting now.
You have to love life my friend.
Ha ha, you all could have a really funny reality TV show. Those TV ears are marvelous. I have a friend who kept blowing out her speakers till she got them.
ReplyDeleteHey Patti, all we need is a film crew, but Cindy's dad would most likely give them a run for their money ha ha.
DeleteThose TV ears are impressive, I am glad we got them here, I like it even better when he uses them.
Your father-in-law sounds like quite the character.
ReplyDeleteHello Stephen, He is a character for sure, a really good man who has one of those sense of humors that you don't see coming at first ha ha.
DeleteHeh, heh! I love that! Cindy is so lucky that she still has her dad, and her dad is so lucky to have you. Both pictures of them are great.
ReplyDeleteHey Val, Yes she is Lucky to still have him, I don't regret for a minute moving here so she could spend time with her folks.
DeleteThey take good pictures together, I really like the first one, we were taking a picture of him to begin with and she knelt down behind him and placed her chin on his shoulder, that one came out really good.
He has a wonderful sense of humour! :)
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, Yes he does have a great sense of humor.
DeleteI am happy to have you join us, please come back anytime.
I'm with your father-in-law. Why not soup at 110º? That's as crazy as people saying they don't drink coffee in the summer, or don't eat ice cream in the winter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun exchange, and like some commenters said, sit-com worthy!
Hey Lady, I think where she was actually going was that she didn't want to heat up the house cooking homemade soup on the stove when it was 100 degrees outside, but she ended up doing it anyways and it was really good.
DeleteCoffee in the summer and ice cream in the winter we have never stopped these for any reason...good point.
You could definitely write for a sit-com Jimmy. I know being a caregiver can be frustrating at times - you two are angels - but you had me chuckling throughout. Cindy's dad sounds like a darling character.
ReplyDeleteHi Denise, being a caregiver is like a sit com at times, it can be frustrating but the time spent with the ones you are caring for is so worth it because life is too short.
DeleteCindy's Dad is a good man, both gruff and loving at the same time.
I read your sleeping in a U-Haul blog you referenced. It brought back memories of when we moved back at the end of December 2014 from San Diego area to Prescott, Arizona. Big snow storm predicted for the day of travel so we get an earlier start than we planned. Movers were going to bring the majority of our stuff but we rented a U-Haul for the basics until the moving van came. Was always ahead of the snow, but ended up past Phoenix on the road to Prescott at 3 a.m. and knowing we couldn't get the keys to our rental home until after 10 a.m. the next morning. We were saving money like crazy then, but foolishly looking back we should have driven into Prescott and gotten a hotel and gotten some hours of sleep, but no we pull over to a rest stop to try to catch some sleep. Impossible to sleep in that U-Haul, could not get comfortable plus trucks coming and leaving all night. It was then that I was so very thankful, though I missed him crazily, that our corgi had to be put down 2 days before Christmas. He never would have been able to tolerate the drive or the move (10 years old; cancer survivor but then it came back in a vengeance). Arrived in town to 6 inches of snow that melted within a day. Hope never to experience that again.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful you moved closer to help with your in-laws. I find people who have hearing problems are really good at hearing what they want to hear, no matter how softly it might be spoken.
We've been known to have soup on 110 degree days here in Phoenix. Pho is a perfect example.
betty
Hello Betty, your sleeping in a u-haul sounds as frustrating as ours was, Cindy said that we will never rent a u-haul again, sleeping in one is an experience once you have done you never want to repeat.
DeleteIsn't it amazing how someone can't hear you shout words to them in the same room but can hear you whisper in another, that is so funny and true.
I have to say it: conversations like that would have me tearing my hair out. I get exasperated real quick. Good thing you and Cindy have calmer dispositions.
ReplyDeleteHello River, it does get frustrating at times, but this is when you have to see the humor in the situation, you really have to laugh otherwise you would be bald. I have learned the hard way that staying calm is the key.
DeleteI've never heard of TV ears, could you post a picture one day?
ReplyDeleteMy brother has hearing aids and turns them off when he is in loud noise areas like pubs. But he can hear the TV much better.
They have their website here is the link TV Ears and they also sell them on Amazon, sometimes for a little less, but both sets we got from the company at a sale price I think we only paid 59 dollars.
DeleteWhat a great idea.
DeleteTV ears? Never heard of them before. Wonder if we have them in the UK? The exchange between Cindy and her Dad are great to read but they must be frustrating at times.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Valerie, I left a link in my reply to River for TV Ears site, but I also found this link at Amazon UK for them TV Ears
DeleteYes it does get frustrating sometimes but we never let it get to us.
I always wondered if those TV Ears work, and glad to know they do in case I need to grab one soon. Conversations like this are so fun, and it's wonderful that you are both there to take care of such a humorous guy. Thanks for all your great stories. Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteHello RO, they do work really good, they sell two versions the original, and a digital one they claim is better but more costly, we have the original version and it does the job.
DeleteThank you RO, I am glad you are here to read my stories.
There are no manuals when caring for older folks. Jilda and I both helped care for our mothers in the final years of their lives.
ReplyDeleteR
Good morning Rick, you are correct that there are no manuals and caring for your loved ones is entirely different when caring for another one.
DeleteI know how hard it is caring for someone to the end, we were with Cindy's mom when she passed away, and you have done it twice, there is a special place in Heaven for Jilda and you my friend.
Thanks Jimmy. Will go take a look.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome, Valerie.
DeleteHahaha I bet hes a hoot and a load of fun! Dontcha just love em?
ReplyDeleteI can eat soup on a hot day too!
Lisa
Good morning Lisa, you have to love em, especially with a sense of humor like he has.
DeleteWow. That was a roller coaster from start to finish. Reminds me of my step father way back yonder.
ReplyDeleteHello Robert, funny thing is this is basically a typical day for us, your step father must have been a character also.
DeleteGlad to have you stop in.
I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHey John, I am happy that you enjoyed it Sir. That was a good picture your daughter shared with you.
DeleteYeah, I had a bit of an incident with my cranky Mom-in-law the other day. She called wanting someone to talk with and since I didn't have anything else to do I thought I'd do a good deed.
ReplyDeleteAbout 20 minutes later, after realizing she was in a mood and doing my best to stay pleasant, we got in a disagreement over a particular subject. I didn't think anything of it but the next day I heard from my wife her mom had called several people complaining about me.
Frankly I was a little miffed because when we hung up I didn't think anything about our disagreement. People disagree on certain things and there is no reason to get upset. After my sister-in-law called my wife and mentioned it again I started to get mad with me promising not to talk with my mom-in-law again. That's when I caught my wife laughing with her telling me why that's the reason they don't talk with her often.
I have learned in these situations to just let them talk, Cindy's Dad has his opinions on things and I'm not going to change his mind if I disagree, so rather than upset him I just smile and nod my head, it's easier on everyone this way.
DeleteI feel for you with the whole family stirred up over your conversation with Mom in law, sounds like your wife is on your side though, she's the one who is important.