Alzheimer's a Bitch

Gramps - Mom - Alysse - Me

Last weekend I went home to visit my family, specifically my grandfather who has Alzheimer's.

My mom had called to tell me that he was getting much worse. The kind funny man that I grew up knowing was now angry, physical, and argumentative. So I told her I would make the trip and come see him. I called my brother's and we planned to get together Saturday, go visit him and see what we could do to help.

Well when we we arrived he was just setting there sleeping. My mother woke him up, since it was also almost lunch time. He just stared at us for 15 minutes while we tried to talk with him. We talked with other patients in the memory care unit. We watched one attempted escape, and laughed when she turned herself in immediately.

The only reaction we got from gramps was when mom asked him if he wanted help to go to lunch. He shook his head yes, and then shuffled off with mom to his spot in the dining room. So the body is still there, but the mind is gone.

What do you do to reconcile your memories of the man that was versus the shell that still exists. This decorated war veteran, who I once heard tell a TSA agent when the metal detector kept going off, "that's shrapnel from when the ____  got me in Korea." This is the guy who sang, "I Love to go swimming with bow legged women". Which always got hum called Donald Clarence by my grandmother. This is the guy that took you on your first duck hunt at 4 years old? The guy who stopped taking me to the bar when I was  four because I kept sliding off the stool? Or got you hooked on big american Lincoln's and Mercury's? Was a UAW member through and through?

My favorite story of all time was that he had Carotic artery surgery to remove a blockage. He was waking up in the recovery room, and was being attended to by a sweet young red headed nurse, and grampa was hitting on her and asking for a sponge bath. He kept it up until she was replaced by a large male nurse.

I don't know, but I'm glad my daughter and my nephew's got to meet him and know him prior to this terrible disease taking his mind. Because he is just a shell now. A loved shell, but a shell. I have resolved myself to this fact. Hopefully someday this disease will no longer exist. But for now it does and its a bitch!

What's happened to my country since 9/11??

What an incredibly different world we live in today versus sixteen years ago!

Decline in Personal Freedom's.

Our reaction to the hijackers was to suddenly invent a complete new Government Department. Which I think try's their best, but just seems like a boon-doggle. 

I've had my 83 year old, Korean war vet grandfather pulled out of line because he set off the metal detector. He tried to tell the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) agent that it was, and I quote, "God damn communist shrapnel." This didn't get him off the hook. so when they searched him, they found his pipe knife and confiscated it. Really, a 83 year old man that can hardly bend over and take off his shoes is going to hijack a plane with a 2" blade. There you go, good old common sense escapes them. 

Meanwhile I was on another trip, and I was at the gate waiting for my flight, and the lady across from me proceeding to pull two 8" long metal knitting needles from her hair and started knitting away. They either missed them, or since meta knitting needles are not on the contraband list they let her keep them. Again, common sense seems to not be present.

 Never Ending War

For the life of me I cannot understand why we cannot extricate ourselves from Afghanistan. We invaded in October 2001, which means we are quickly approaching the 16th Anniversary. We have disrupted the Taliban. We have used it as a base to locate and kill Osama Bin Laden. We have tried to bring them out of the stone age, which I really don't think they want. So why are still there?

We tried to leave but the government that we helped install doesn't seem to be able to support itself or maintain democracy. We have not won their hearts and minds, so lets get our young men and women out of there, or just annex it and make it another US Territory and eradicate the vermin. I prefer removing all of folks and letting the whole thing implode.

There seems to be no establish goal that is being work towards. Which is how any issue is resolved. You decide what the solution/outcome is to be and work towards that end.

So I ask my government officials to just decide what they are truly trying to achieve in Afghanistan. They enact a plan to achieve that goal with no reservation, just 100% of the determination of the American military.

Unfortunately this won't happen because there are now too many special interest groups and businesses making a killing. So common sense will not prevail and we will probably still be in Afghanistan when the next president takes office.

We have a new Cold War.

How lucky can we be? 

The giant evil that hung over us while I was a child and then when I went in the Air Force has suddenly returned? How did that happen? Russia has an extremely rich dictator, who enjoys making our politicians look incredibly stupid..

If you can explain that to me in 50 words or less, please do! 

China is a new Economic Competitor.

Wow. They decided to become Capitalistic Communists... Who say that coming? They have 20% of the worlds population. They have been buying US government debt for who knows how long. Now they using all they oil and polluting the shit out of the environment. Luckily they are still buying our coal. God forbid we use it.

I guess I should start taking some Mandarin lessons.

So actually nothing really changed.

So looking at everything that has occurred, I would have to say that really nothing has changed that much. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, but history is just repeating itself.

I just hope we can figure all of this out without totally destroying our country and the world.

Please pray for Texas.

Having been through Katrina, and having to deal with the aftermath. Not to mention dealing with my in-laws flood last August in Baton Rouge, I say please pray.

Their journey is just starting and its not a fun or pleasant journey. They will need financial support. They will need emotional support. They will need a kind word and a shoulder to cry on.

I have friends who live in the Houston area, I hope they are well and a lucky one. If you need anything let me know.

Help if you can. Support your police, fire, and ems folks. Also, I am sure that the military will deploy to provide assistance.

So please pray for them and the emergency service folks for support and safety!