Never again

I going to have figure out something new. The day care I now take Pops to has changed their hours and are open now only until 2:00 in the afternoon. How is that servicing their customers I have no idea, but it is what it is. I have been "dealing" with that to the best of my ability and thank god I have a flexible job other wise I'd be screwed.

Well today was a different issue, today I had to meet with my bosses boss in downtown San Diego. The meeting was set up between 10:00 am and noon. After map questing the directions I see that it takes 1:50 to get there from this daycare place. Of course those directions and time do not account for traffic at all. After much thought I decided I had to leave Pops home for the day. I knew that when I returned he would be a mental basket case with all sorts of stories about imaginary business meetings and clients stopping by the office that he had to deal with, but I had no other alternative and I could deal with the stories.

While sitting in the meeting I get a call on my cell phone which I do not answer of course. But when the meeting convened at noon and I got down to my car I check the Blackberry and its a message from my ex trying me to call my neighbor as there is an emergency with my dad. OH CRAP, WHAT HAS HE GOT HIMSELF INTO. I get a hold of her pretty quickly to find that My Crazy Pop has locked himself into my car sitting in the driveway. My neighbors are taking to get him to unlock the door but he cant figure out how. After thinking for a few seconds I remember I have the keys in my bedroom and instruct my neighbor where to find them. Well within a few minutes he's out of the car and back in the house. Thank good for good neighbors.

I wonder though how did they ever notice that he was sitting in the car? When I get to the house I ask that question and as it turns out the Orkin man just so happened to spray my house today. He sprays only once every two months and today just happened to be his day. The Orkin man noticed my dad and went and got the neighbors.

Well never again will i even chance at leaving this old codger home even for a few minutes much less a couple hours. I thought whats the worse that can happen. This case is definitely not the worse and I don't want to find out.

Whew!

I'm heading to Seattle for a few days on business. I got well advance notice of this trip and immediately wondered what I was going to do with Pops. There's is absolutely now way he would survive the four days while I was gone. Having my Brother and his wife take him isn't an option as they both work full time and having him in a relatively unfamiliar home wouldn't work.

In comes respite care! Its all arranged now but what an ordeal (sort of). I first had to get his doctor to complete a health care questionnaire. Anyone that was had to get a doctor or his office staff of complete paperwork and probably atest to the fact that, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO IT. But then again who does. Luckily Pops had a check up last month, three weeks after I faxed the forms for them to complete. I showed up for the appointment with a second copy vowing not to leave without it being completed. As I anticipated the forms were sitting in his file not completed but we filled them out right there on the spot. Then came the interview, they have to evaluate dads condition. Pops wasn't thrilled going there, even though he had no idea where he was going; and the questions that he couldn't answer like, "whats your age" and "do you know what city you're in" just added to his annoyance. Finally yesterday I had an orientation which lasted an hour with more paperwork to complete.

I'm just happy now that I have a place for him to go and that I don't have to worry while I'm gone. I am so looking forward to the trip now even though it's work related. I've been taking company trips for years, in the beginning I looked forward to them, then just tolerated them. Now it'll be almost like a vacation!