It's been a while, but there's good news

So Dad and I have been living with each other for (what only seems like) an eternity. When people ask how he's doing I reply "well enough to annoy the crap out of me." This guy's got PLENTY of life left in him. I took him to breakfast this Sunday. (sigh... there's so many stories I hope I remember them all; ok... here it goes...)

A few weeks ago, he couldn't get into the bath tub on his own. This Sunday he bathed on his own, but still insisted I scrub his back. Every time he has asked me to scrub his back before, I thought to myself - WHO THE HELL SCRUBS MY BACK? And I'm an able-bodied young man. This time I spoke up. "Dad, how did you use to wash your back before the stroke?"
"With the scrubber/handle."
"Then why can't you use that now?"
His answer was laced with his passive aggressive subtle ways, "I guess you're right." The truth is he wants his freedom and independence as much as he wants his son there by his side. I understand. and I scrub.

We went to Norm's for breakfast. There's something about that place and old people, but I'm too young to understand it. We had a great conversation over breakfast. I filled him in on my social life (a nice Baha'i girl I've taken a liking to), and he proceeded to tell me about how he knows her grandfather, and his family... his uncle (a fellow military man) and his mom and aunts... I learned more about her family than she knew. The idea of me settling down seemed to make him very happy. What made me happy was his first question about her was, "Is she good to you?" Not race, class, creed, or all that other garbage my generation's parents are caught up in. The conversation was a nice addition to the pancakes and syrup - just as sweet. 2 weeks ago we came to this same Norm's and I still had to cut his food for him, peel his creamers for the coffee, and he couldn't hold his coffee in the left hand. This week, he did all those things for himself.
AND held his coffee in the left hand. Not to mention, he doesn't walk with a cane anymore (but still carries it, as if he's gonna beat someone up)

After Norm's, dad asked to cruise around. He doesn't have his car (I had to confiscate that, but he asks for it everyday!) so he gets bored. So I took him for a drive up the coast. I remember a couple of feasts ago, he could bear to walk across the street to the car. Of course then I made him do it. Now (a month or so later) he got out of the car at the beach, walked along the path a little, before sitting at a bench for a rest. As he sat, I was taken aback by the majestic view and fresh ocean breeze. The flowers blowing in the wind, the wonderful smiles on peoples faces as they jog by, and even the cutest dogs in the world running along side a few. A jogger and her pup ran by. Dad pointed out that she had a fanny pack on. "In the old days, when someone had a big butt, we used to say she's carrying a load (bar-band) on her waist." I couldn't stop laughing. Here I am, thinking all nature and beautiful stuff, and dad is literally checking out girls butts. My laughing causes him to chuckle, and we both proceed into full on belly laughs, as more joggers go by. I'm sure it was a cute scene to witness father and son just laughing their asses of. Then, just as we compose ourselves, another girl goes by. "Her basket is not as full as the other one." BAHAAAAAAAAA!

After we continued our walk, and go back to the car, he asks to make a stop at the 99cent store for produce. Really? I had spoken of my dads fruggle ways, but 99cent store produce, dad? He (still full of vigor) decided to cook Celery Stew for dinner and wanted to get some celery. So if he wasn't worn out enough, I took him to the 99 cent store next to the new Whole Foods in Venice. (Kooky Venice people AND Organic produce - not my scene, but that's for another blog) Because of all the traffic at the Whole Foods, we had to park in the back of th parking lot, and walk across the lot to the 99 cent store. He mastered the walk, but by the time he got back into the car, he was REALLY pooped. When we got home, he went straight to sleep. The Karafs stew will have to wait another day.

So I'm glad to say dad is doing much better. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Those of you in Haifa, I love you all dearly. I pray for your steadfastness and strength constantly. And to my friends around the world, thank you.