A Skippy's sort of birthday
Today is dad's birthday. We have a joke whenever we go to the store around someone's birthday or a holiday; when we're near the card section, we tell the other person to go pick out their own card. Dad spotted one yesterday that he found amusing; it involved thongs. As it was, the card I'd actually bought for him was along those same lines, so I apologized for it ahead of time. I told him, I had a hard time picking out your card, and I kept going back to this one. The front has a sign reading "Over-50 Marathong," and the captions are something like, "I thought it was a typo" and "Do they have to keep stretching?" And then there's people in thongs prepping to run. Super classy. Inside it said something like, you can't run from another birthday. Considering he's stunned he's almost 70, well, there you go.
We didn't do much for his birthday. He sort of expects that at this time. Mom and I both got him cards, and I cut up the watermelon we bought last week. Mom went to the Geneva French Market and picked up a blueberry crumb cake. I wasn't interested in going out to eat and brought that up on Friday, and mom doesn't like what dad wants, but dad refused to cook for today. He decided he wanted Skippy's, which is a gyro place with a drive-thru. Mom had taped a note to the microwave with her order, so when I went to write my order down, I stuck a couple $20s on there, so at least he didn't have to pay. I ordered Greek fries, not knowing what to expect; it ended up being fries with feta and oregano, I think. Not bad. I joked it was Greek poutine. Mom and I both got the mini chicken gyros, which were slightly smaller versions of the regular ones. Well, she got a regular mini gyro too. She's eating her chicken one and saying, mine didn't come on a pita! It's like a tortilla! And she picks up part of it and holds it up. I said, mom, that's chicken. She dug a little down and then said, there it is! Believe me, mine came on a pita, and they appeared identical in the wrapping.
I got to talk to grandma today. I missed out last week because she got caught up doing something at 1 PM and didn't answer her phone, and when she didn't call back by 1:30 I figured I'd get a jump on practicing; that's when she called back. She said she feels like she's in Rear Window at times because she likes to watch what's happening from her balcony, and she claims no one can see her. ...Grandma, they can see you. And, she said she was under weather warnings yesterday, but she was out on her balcony and nothing happened! When mom and I went, uh, that's probably not the safest place to be, she said, there was no thunder or lightning! Okay, fine, but if you get sucked off your balcony, that's on you.
They're going on a trip at the end of July, and grandma wants to bring her rolling shopping cart. She loves that thing. She walks around her condo with it as her walker, so she figured maybe she could bring it with on the trip. Uh...how about no. I was picturing her trying to get on the bus with it, 'cause that's not awkward. Both grandma and mom were like, oh, no, it wouldn't go on the bus. Mom said, you know, they store the luggage underneath. Oh, yeah, I get that--but then if it's just stored underneath, loose, and it gets jostled around, that can't be good. That's the point where mom went, yeah, it might get damaged; can you bring a regular walker or your cane? Grandma liked the idea of bringing the shopping cart because it could carry stuff for her--I said, that's why you have mom, though mom didn't like that--and it has wheels. Yes, but a walker has a lower profile as you're meant to fit inside. The shopping cart would be bulky. And, as mom said, she'd look like she's crazy. I mean, we *know* that, but let's let the strangers think she's simply eccentric. It sounded like she might try to dig the walker out from under her bed.
Mom has to stop by grandma's sometime soon, as she has a new Brita pitcher for her, plus a bathing suit for her to try in case she wants to take it on the trip. Grandma was also complaining about her phone, how she has all these notifications and she doesn't know how to delete them. She said some of them go back a couple years. Mom isn't entirely sure *she* knows how to do that, but she can at least try. Plus, after yesterday, I wouldn't doubt she got a number of them. We did talk tornado safety and the good news is that she's right by the stairwell, so should she need to shelter, she has the closest walk of just about anyone. I'm still concerned since she's on the top floor, but she doesn't have to walk all the way down the hall. If I remember correctly, the stairs are slightly closer than the elevator. I've taken those stairs on a few occasions.
We didn't do much for his birthday. He sort of expects that at this time. Mom and I both got him cards, and I cut up the watermelon we bought last week. Mom went to the Geneva French Market and picked up a blueberry crumb cake. I wasn't interested in going out to eat and brought that up on Friday, and mom doesn't like what dad wants, but dad refused to cook for today. He decided he wanted Skippy's, which is a gyro place with a drive-thru. Mom had taped a note to the microwave with her order, so when I went to write my order down, I stuck a couple $20s on there, so at least he didn't have to pay. I ordered Greek fries, not knowing what to expect; it ended up being fries with feta and oregano, I think. Not bad. I joked it was Greek poutine. Mom and I both got the mini chicken gyros, which were slightly smaller versions of the regular ones. Well, she got a regular mini gyro too. She's eating her chicken one and saying, mine didn't come on a pita! It's like a tortilla! And she picks up part of it and holds it up. I said, mom, that's chicken. She dug a little down and then said, there it is! Believe me, mine came on a pita, and they appeared identical in the wrapping.
I got to talk to grandma today. I missed out last week because she got caught up doing something at 1 PM and didn't answer her phone, and when she didn't call back by 1:30 I figured I'd get a jump on practicing; that's when she called back. She said she feels like she's in Rear Window at times because she likes to watch what's happening from her balcony, and she claims no one can see her. ...Grandma, they can see you. And, she said she was under weather warnings yesterday, but she was out on her balcony and nothing happened! When mom and I went, uh, that's probably not the safest place to be, she said, there was no thunder or lightning! Okay, fine, but if you get sucked off your balcony, that's on you.
They're going on a trip at the end of July, and grandma wants to bring her rolling shopping cart. She loves that thing. She walks around her condo with it as her walker, so she figured maybe she could bring it with on the trip. Uh...how about no. I was picturing her trying to get on the bus with it, 'cause that's not awkward. Both grandma and mom were like, oh, no, it wouldn't go on the bus. Mom said, you know, they store the luggage underneath. Oh, yeah, I get that--but then if it's just stored underneath, loose, and it gets jostled around, that can't be good. That's the point where mom went, yeah, it might get damaged; can you bring a regular walker or your cane? Grandma liked the idea of bringing the shopping cart because it could carry stuff for her--I said, that's why you have mom, though mom didn't like that--and it has wheels. Yes, but a walker has a lower profile as you're meant to fit inside. The shopping cart would be bulky. And, as mom said, she'd look like she's crazy. I mean, we *know* that, but let's let the strangers think she's simply eccentric. It sounded like she might try to dig the walker out from under her bed.
Mom has to stop by grandma's sometime soon, as she has a new Brita pitcher for her, plus a bathing suit for her to try in case she wants to take it on the trip. Grandma was also complaining about her phone, how she has all these notifications and she doesn't know how to delete them. She said some of them go back a couple years. Mom isn't entirely sure *she* knows how to do that, but she can at least try. Plus, after yesterday, I wouldn't doubt she got a number of them. We did talk tornado safety and the good news is that she's right by the stairwell, so should she need to shelter, she has the closest walk of just about anyone. I'm still concerned since she's on the top floor, but she doesn't have to walk all the way down the hall. If I remember correctly, the stairs are slightly closer than the elevator. I've taken those stairs on a few occasions.