My dad has been staying with us for nearly a month. He had prostate cancer surgery sometime in mid-April and he was to spend the 7 day recovery period here with us. Well, he had some bumps in the recovery and so he has been with us a little longer than originally planned. Yeah…good times…. So here’s Random Tuesday Thoughts…the Dad edition.
Because Dad is retired and lives alone and is a man and is, well, Dad, he doesn’t bathe or brush his teeth until he’s getting ready to leave the house. There’s a bit of a disconnect and so he hasn’t adjusted his routine now that he is living with us. Now don’t forget that he is sick and so he doesn’t go out everyday and even on the days when he does leave the house, it is typically late in the afternoon. You are gagging right now, aren’t you? I know you are.
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Dad has totally commandeered our television. We have one television in our house. With DVR me and the Hubs make it work. But my dad, who is retired and lives alone and is a man, watches television all day and is accustomed to watching what he wants, when he wants. His routine starts out with cable news upon waking. He flips between CNN, MSNBC and Fox News because he never wants to watch a commercial. He watches cable news all day until 3pm when he watches General Hospital. This man will not miss General Hospital for all the the tea in China! Honestly, it’s ridiculous! In the evening, it’s all about cable news again until the NBA playoffs start. Then it’s playoffs until he falls asleep. Luckily for the Hubs, he’s at work and when he comes home, he actually wants to watch NBA playoffs. The rest of us are just screwed.
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The worst thing might be that my dad treats Jade and O differently. Jade is a precocious four-year-old girl. Dad doesn’t like precocious. O is a cuddly, fun-loving, sixteen month old boy. Dad likes boys. Especially boys that don’t talk back. He talks to O in a nice sweet baby tone. He speaks to Jade gruffly. He made up a nickname for O. Jade asked about her nickname and he told her, ‘you wouldn’t like the name I make up for you.’ She was rude to him one day and after I made her apologize he told her, “I accept your apology, but I typically send a nice check for Christmas for the whole family and this year, I’m going to send a separate check for you.” Jade, being 4, cheered. “Yay, Granddaddy is going to send me my own check.” Dad thought it was hilarious that she misunderstood. Sidenote- I don’t think she knows what a check is.
I HATE this and have spoken to him about it. He acknowledges it, but refuses to do anything to change. Grrrr!
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Nope, the worst thing was that Dad peed on the couch. Seinfeld fans, remember Poppy?
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So who can complete the quote in my title? It’s a well known quote that goes…”You don’t have to go home, but you’ve……” Who can fill in the blank?
but you’ve got to stop peeing on the couch?
I know that’s not the quote, but I like the ending better!
Comment by KathyB! — May 12, 2009 @ 2:12 pm
“got to get your sh*t together,” I know that’s not the quote, but it had to be said. hehehehe. My dad came and stayed with me for a week once. He managed to agitate a huge argument between my mom & sister, wear a ripped tee-shirt on Thanksgiving day, brag about smoking weed (he’s 66 years old) to my Christian Father-in-law, smash my toilet in pieces (in all fairness he replaced it with a new one), create a leak in a different toilet (I still haven’t fixed it and it’s getting worse), comment on a 21 year old girl’s hind parts…I could go on. It was a rough week. Hope stays healthy:)
Comment by jewelryrockstar — May 12, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
got to straighten up. My mother in law would have said you can’t stay here. I have been in situations like this that you are suggesting and I know you love your dad as I did but we did have talks about things we did that the other did not like all the time a few minutes of being bruised is better than building up and blowing up with a full war. Now that he is gone I look back and think yes I am glad that we were open and shared our thoughts
Comment by angie — May 12, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
Yeah…parents…you love ‘em, but you don’t have to live with them anymore! Geesh…you are a good daughter!
Comment by Funkidivagirl — May 12, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
“…got to take a shower, man.” Like others, it’s not the real quote ending but it’s my best guess.
You are a good daughter. Seriously. I hope you are finding some solace somewhere (maybe via blogs?!) along the way.
Comment by CynthiaK — May 12, 2009 @ 11:01 pm
Oh you win…. I will keep my issues!!! I would have to hurt pop.
Thank you for popping by my blog
Comment by Sanewithoutdrugs — May 12, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
Ok, yup, you win the award for worst week ever. Oy. Never fun having “company”. You know the phrase, fish and family? They’re the same. Great, but after a few days they begin to stink. (or in your case, urinate)
Comment by Yaya — May 12, 2009 @ 11:35 pm
you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here and play favorites with my kids!
thanks for stopping by my blog. this is a great post. your dad sounds like a typical man!
you are a very good daughter to let him stay for so long. i’m sure he appreciates it more than he lets on – and i assume that he doesn’t let on that he appreciates it bc he sounds like such a guy!
Comment by bex — May 13, 2009 @ 1:19 am
Ouch. Treating the grandchildren differently is not cool normally, but if he’s staying there I imagine it’s much worse. It’s frustrating that old men can just say, “well I’m an old man” and somehow that excuses everything.
Hope you regain your sanity soon!
And, um, your couch. I have some Febreze I could send you.
Comment by Keely — May 13, 2009 @ 2:06 am
In the hood (I like to say I’m from the hood, but I’m really a hood rat , from snotsville). Anyway in the hood they ya ain’t gotta go home, but can’t stay here”. Love this post, I’m almost peeing my own pants.
Needed this lift me up today!. You’re precious!
Comment by blogomomma — May 13, 2009 @ 3:19 am
Ah, something to look forward to in the future. The next generation will have it easier. All they will have to do is hand Gramps the controller.
Ellie Belen
Comment by Distracting Minutia — May 13, 2009 @ 3:20 am
Thanks for stopping by my blog & helping to make my SITS day special!
Comment by Mimi — May 13, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
I had forgotten Poppy! How could I forget Poppy.
This situation sounds like a nightmare. I hope he is well enough to go home soon.
Comment by debbie — May 14, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
What kind of check was he going to send Jade? Yeah parents try and get away with murder when it’s you all grown up and they try and play the “senile” card…you’ll look back on this and laugh some day. With the pee stain I guess you can’t say he didn’t leave an impression on the house!
My best, Lynn
Comment by Lynn — June 10, 2009 @ 1:56 am