Micah is back and for some reason wants to build foosball tables to sell at Farmer's Market.  He has drawn up plans, but has no tools or wood.  I showed him nok-hockey on the internet - there was a page that actually had how to build your own nok-hockey set and of course you could also just buy one for $35, but I thought that would be a simpler project, still don't have the tools, but then Micah said Jim would have the tools and I thought that would be a great project for Micah to do with Jim. So Margy if you're reading this let's see if we can put these two scientists/engineers together and have them build us a classic nok-hockey game.

Micah got home around 7pm tonight and then Grandpa, Howie, Micah and I went down for the $10 pulled pork Monday night dinner at the 320 Ranch.  It was a little cool out, the music was O.K., the food was O.K. and as soon as we got there Howie burst into tears because we're guessing here because he couldn't talk he could only make faces and cry, he didn't like the food.  Somehow he ate a few pieces of pork.  We ran into Jim and Margy on their way out with some friends.  Too bad we didn't get their earlier, but we were waiting for Micah to get back from Canyon Ferry.  There were a bunch of other people there I knew, but we sat by ourselves and had dinner.  After dinner we walked around the 320 showing Dad the convention center where we hope to have Micah's Bar Mitvah.  There was actually an art show going on in there with some Montana Oil Paintings and Bronze Sculptures.  Micah and Howie talked to one of the sculptors for quite awhile and he gave them some small pieces of clay to take home and mold.  

Today was pretty much a work day for me.  Paperwork and talking.  Picked up Dad and Howie for a late lunch around 2, finished up my work, then took Howie and Dad to the skateboard park so Howie could show Grandpa all his cool moves.  I left them there and went to the gym.  Dad was nervous because the clouds were rolling in and he was afraid he would get caught out in a storm.  I told him to call me which in the middle of my workout he did.  So I jumped in the car and got them.  Murray was hiding underneath the skatepark, it was a little windy, but no rain.  Then we went back to the gym so Dad could say Hi to some people, I tried to continue my workout, but I was done.  It never did rain until after we were driving home from dinner.  

We sat down to watch the Mets game at 5:15, but we found out that the Mets were off tonight.  We watched the Red Sox game and then the Cubs game instead.  Then went to dinner.  Now winding down and maybe I will get to bed a little earlier tonight.  I continue to take deep breaths with my Dad, but his day dreaming, slow motion, off in out of space, it's hard to have patience all the time.  For instance when we got to the 320 we all got out of the car.  The boys ran ahead, I made sure Buddy didn't get out of the car, while my Dad was getting out.  So Dad gets out, closes his door, I let go of Buddy, close my door. I start walking.  I turn around and wait for Dad.  No Dad.  Three minutes later, No Dad. I see Jim and Margy coming. I look back, still no Dad.  So I yell, "Dad, are you coming?"  So he comes laughing, "What's the big deal?" By then I am already saying hello to Jim.  So Dad comes by and they say hello, and then Margy appears and we all say hello.  I think Dad had decided to talk to Buddy through the car window?  I really don't know what he was doing once he got out of the car.  Just standing there I guess.  I am really trying to be nice and patient all the time.  He never hears me the first time, if he doesn't here me the second time, I raise my voice.  He hasn't accused me of yelling yet, but that will come.   He is actually doing very well, but he can be very disorganized, spacey and forgetful.  Dementia?  I don't think so.  I called the house at 1:30 and asked if they wanted to come down to the store and Dad said yes, I could come right away they were ready.  I continued to work at least 15 minutes then ran home to get him.  He was confused, looking for his pills.  "Where are my pills?  I have 2 bags.  These are my back up pills"  - that bag he put in the cupboard with the chips.  The other bag he couldn't find so I looked all over.  I finally found them in the liquor cabinet - the cupboard above the chip cupboard.  Why he put them there he couldn't tell me.  I put his back up pills on top of his dresser and I left his pills for daily use in the liquor cabinet.  Obviously he is a little disoriented being at my house, but it's not like he has a lot of responsibility or a lot of different things going on.  I think having him sleep in Andrew's room has disoriented him a little bit.  I gave him an extra blanket and he said that was great, perfect so I don't have to turn the heat on.   Today was only his second full day here, so I just need to give him a chance,  it's just frustrating.  He was telling me about talking to a cousin of his, trying to explain the relationship, her mother and his grandfather were brother and sister.  He called her and they talked for an half an hour, she's lonely, can't walk.   Then he was telling me he remembers customers at the store (his luncheonette) coming in for coffee as they got older and older, fading away, moving slower and slower.  And I said to him, "and you weren't nice to them?"  

"No, I was nice to them, I just remember seeing them everyday moving slower and slower, fading away and now that's me." 

As we are driving away from the dinner I see they have a big fire going with people making smores.  Should we stop, Micah said, "Nahhh," Howie started to cry.  Grandpa didn't know what a smore was.  I let the boys out of the car, then drove Grandpa around the 320 giving him a quick tour of the grounds.  We went back and got out of the car and went to the bonfire.  There were no more graham crackers so the boys just had toasted marshmallows with chocolate. Grandpa didn't want one anyways and so we left.  It started raining as we drove back towards home.