Gone again

Carlita’s, my niec, birthday isn’t on February 7th. She wanted to go back to Las Vegas. We had planned to go. Stayce, my other niece and Carlita’s sister contacted the condo where she had a timeshare, and could not get the 7 th, but got the 9th thru the 13th. They are both daughters of Cherry.

All we needed to do was to get airplane tickets. Round trip, non stop, going and coming back ended up costing us 312 on Southwest Airlines. All set Clara, my younger sister by 6 year, drove to Virginia to pick me up and take us both over to Cherry’s house, where we would spend the night since we are set to leave at 4am.

I had told Cherry that I wanted fried fish and grits. Cherry makes the best grits although she says she no longer eats them after having ate them all the time growing up. And the fish came from the freezer at Cherry’s house after Stayce went fishing.

Getting there by mid afternoon we had to wait for a while before the meal was ready. We hugged our older sister and settled down on the very large couch. It was our goal, Clara and mine, that we would stay up all night so that we could sleep on the plane. Cherry had vudu and a bunch of movies that we had not seen.

The five of us, the power five, had also invited our sister Toni and cousin Geneva, aka GG. But they declined to come.

Dinner time was specia. It was everything that I wanted and it was good. She even added a small salad.

After dinner was movie time. Stayce had come home as we were eating and as usual started cleaning up the kitchen. She had moved back in with her mother about five years ago after Cherry turned 70. She believed that the kitchen should be clean before bedtime.

I used to think the same thing until I married a woman who did not care and we adopted two special needs boys. Now I get the kitchen cleaned up when I feel like it.

Especially now. Three years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and it’s really changed the things I can do. I am often shocked at what I can and cannot do.

I had been using a Rollator all the time at the urging of an in house PT. But I had seen one that I did no have to bend over to use, the walk up right kind. And surprise, Stayce had gotten me one. Knowing the amount of walking I’d have to do.

So as 2am approached, Clara got tired and went to bed. I stayed on the couch and continued to watch tv. Carlita arrived at 3:45 and by now everyone was up. At 4am the suv ordered by Stayce had arrived.

So I got my brand new upright rollator and I go out the front door and realised that it was harder to control and I end up, splat, face down in the very wet grass.

Embarrassed, I am helped up, fussed at for going out by myself. Placed in the back of the SUV and we are off.

Wheel chair was not waiting for me, but Stayce went and got one. Two hours later we were on our way back to Las Vegas. Little did we know that we would be some of the last people to come to LasVegas.

As usual we had a great time in Las Vegas. This time we actually got to go to the Blue Mans show.

Ive been in the house since 2/17. After coming back from Las Vegas on 2/13 I came back with a terrible cough. On the 15th my wife took me to Patients First and exrays said that i possibly had pneumonia, but would have to go back on the 17th for confirmation. On the 17th, it was confirmed. I was due to go back in ten days but the wife said nope.

So the photo taken by Carlita of Cherry, Clara and myself standing in front of statues in Caesar’s Palace. I miss being able to hug my sisters and go out to the casinos with them.