Just Charge It to My AARP Card!

You Can't Get a Decent Photo of My Mother!

We have noticed a problem with spending.  My father, once the most careful person in the world, now doesn't care what he spends.  Ergo, he is not allowed to have checks.  He has one credit card.  I had my mother take it away from him because he had maxed it.  After a couple months, I'd paid it down a little.  She gave it back to him.  He maxed it in 2 days.  He was told he could keep it in his wallet, but not to use it.

The check book is in hiding.

Every time they go out to eat, he complains that he doesn't have a credit card or a check.  Darn right he doesn't have a check!

This evening the usual argument ensued.  My mother gets upset about it, but either you laugh or cry.  He flipped out his AARP card to give it to the server.  Fortunately, she knew he has Alzheimer's and was very nice about it.  I just shook my head. 

My mother was getting ready to cry.

Then I though about Aunt Eva and the chicken bone.  When my sister and I were little kids, we were visiting in Louisville, at Aunt Eva's house.  She had a little problem going on, tried to get my sister to eat her chicken leg, which had nothing left on it.  Over the years it has become a standard family joke.

Tonight, I thought about that.  Mentioned            it to my mother, who went from dismay to laughter.  It was funny.

What else are you going to do but laugh?

On a rather annoying note, and I should not be annoyed, he calls at least once a day to ask about property taxes. One of our dirty little family secrets is the fact that we had a difficult time catching the Alzheimer's.  One reason is because his basic personality resembles someone with Alzheimer's!  He was always misplacing things.  Property tax time was a nightmare from hell, while he rushed around looking for the bills he tossed aside until the last minute. 

So - every day - he asks about taxes.  I try to be patient.