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Thursday 17 May 2007

Don't Panic Mr. Mainwaring, don't panic....

In the words of Corporal Jones (Dad's Army).


I had a phone call from my brother around 7.30 p.m. last night.

"Do you know where Dad is?" he asked.

"He usually goes to play whist tonight" I informed him, "He gets back around 9.30 p.m. why?"

"I've had a phone call from the Warden saying she hasn't seen him all day and she can't contact him on the intercom." Dad lives in sheltered accommodation and the Warden usually checks every day to make sure he's OK.

"Well let yourself in and make sure he's not unconscious then" I say.

"I can't find my keys to his place, I'll have to go back home and look for them" he replies

By this time I'm panicking. Normally I would rush down there, I can be there in 15 minutes, but I can't drive yet because of my knee.

"I'm sure he's just gone out but will you hurry back with the keys just to make sure and let me know?"

"Will do " says brother.

I wait anxiously then brother rings back at 9.10 p.m.

"I've been inside and there's no sign of him, what time did you say he gets in?"

"9.30 ish I think. As long as he's out he must be OK".

"I'll hang about until he arrives home just to make sure" says brother.

Ten minutes later I received a text from brother

"Dad's landed, he's been playing whist. I am getting him a mobile phone tomorrow so we can contact him when he's out".

Now Dad is practically deaf and can just about work his television and video recorder - what's he gonna make of a mobile phone?!!!!

Watch this space.

When did we become the parents?
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You may remember last week we had cavity wall insulation, well they came yesterday and insulated the loft too - all for free!
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My knee
Thursday 17th May
Getting stronger every day, not enough to go out without the crutch though unfortunately!

37 comments:

letha said...

Shouldn't the warden have gone round to check, not just called your brother ???

talj said...

So glad to hear Dad was alright! You'll have to excuse me but as I began to read this post all I could think about was the Dad in 'Keeping up Appearances' LOL I'm sure you are no Mrs Bucket ;o)

Glad to hear the knee is still doing well, I'll have some of whatever you're on! :o)

la bellina mammina said...

I agree with Letha - oh boy, I can't imagine how it'll be with me when I grow that old! As it is we have families and in-laws all over sia, Europe and America!! What's whist btw?

Akelamalu said...

Letha
Yes she should but she's a waste of space!

Akelamalu said...

Talj
Ha ha, no my Dad isn't quite that bad and I'm nothing like Mrs. Bucket. :)
Hope your knee get's the attention it needs!

Akelamalu said...

La bellina mammina
It's worrying that's true but Dad is very independent, he's out playing cards practically every day! Whist is a card game btw.

Kara said...

Thanks for your kind words on my blog, I know, I didn't think about bloging it a friend In america is doing it so I thought if she can then so should I.
I like your blog by the way.
Its great to see you doing one and send your love to my dad, my nana can't ever hear here mobile so I know what you mean.
Kara
x

Akelamalu said...

kara
Thanks for stopping by. I hope more bloggers will put Maddie's picture and phone numbers up.

sallywrites said...

Hi!

I found you via Headless Chicken's blog. Poor you. Must be a worry for you with your Dad!

What did you do to your knee? I've ahd similar problems of late....

Like the blog!

bulletholes said...

is there anything more charming than an old man with bad ears? What? What?
my kids have been on me for years to get a hearing Aid....i tell 'em i will as soon as they start syaing anything qworth listening to!

Akelamalu said...

Hi Sallly thanks for stopping by. Ah, Dad does Ok for 82, I hope I'm as good as him at that age.
I had a knee replacement at the end of February.
Glad you like, please come back.

Akelamalu said...

Steve you make me laugh. :)
My Dad can hear when he wants to!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

i think sarge has that "convenient" hearing too! hears me complain from another room but can't hear me ask for something right next to him! ha ha gotta love an old man though, to me they are endearig...

and am i the only one having trouble reading the brown on pink writing? i have to make it as large as it will go and change the brightness too? might me MY old age! ha ha

smiles, bee

Akelamalu said...

Bee
MWM is developing selective hearing now - so I have to keep SHOUTING at him!

Sorry you're having trouble seeing the photos, no-one has said anything so I don't know if you're the only one. :(

GEWELS said...

Reminds me of a story a friend told about her mother who was living in and assisted living facility.
She plays bingo in the evening in the gameroom and a huge thunder storm blew in. Her daughter could not reach her for hours- assumed she was playing bingo.My friend did panic when she did not return at the expected time.
Turns out she had been stuck in the facilitie's elevator for hours- having a merry old time. She LOVED the handsome fireman who had to lift her out of it. HAHAHA!!! it was the funniest story when she told it- I guess you had to be there! Sigh

Akelamalu said...

gewels
What a great story, especially as it had a happy ending!
It is a worry though sometimes!

Pearls of Wisdom said...

I am so glad your Dad is ok. Oh my that Warden should be ashamed to not have gone and checked on him . Many blessings to you. I love hearing about your Dad he sounds so special and charming especially his garden he did all by himself.

Love and Hugs,

Angel ( D.)

Akelamalu said...

Angel
Thanks honey, yes she should have checked on him, but he's Ok thank goodness and yes he is special. :)

Elaine Denning said...

I'm glad he was ok. It wasn't very considerate of the warden though...making people panic when there was no need. I thought that's why they were keyholders?

Cream said...

You'll have to get him that vibrates and just text him!
I can imagine him enjoying modern text speak!
R u ok...Dont b l8...Lol...

Akelamalu said...

miss u
No it wasn't. I'm going to phone him later to find out what happened exactly.

Akelamalu said...

Cream
I think brother has put it on vibrate as well because his hearing is bad. I just can't see him doing texts at all LOL! 8)

CG said...

Phew, what a relief your dad is ok!!!

Akelamalu said...

cg - thanks! :)

Tammy said...

It is good that folks keep such a close eye out for your Dad :)

Queenie said...

Left it till late to comment on your post, been trying to get the name of the phone my older sister got for her father- in -law.
It has a watch strap that vibrates as well as the phone and is really easy to understand. Haven't managed to get hold of her yet, will let you know when I do.

RUTH said...

Glad it turned out that your Dad is ok. BTW I love a game of whist!

Linda said...

Glad to hear that your Dad was okay and was just out having a good time. Funny how he probably worried about you as kids for the longest time and now you and your brother are the ones worrying about him.

I guess what goes around really does come around eventually!

Oh, and as for your page, I'm afraid that I'm with Bee on this one and am having some trouble reading the new colors. Of course, I need glasses, too, so that may be part of the problem! I can read the top part just fine but then when the light pink stops and it's all the dark pink, I can hardly read it. Oh well, that's what they make the text enlarger for!

Julia Phillips Smith said...

"When did we become the parents?" My mom and I ask ourselves that question often, as we live all together with my grandmother (92), my husband and our dog. My mom is taking off for four days so she doesn't have to yell every word. It was my turn two weeks ago - important to take time for yourself so you don't go off the deep end. But we'd be crushed if there was no old person trundling through with her walker.

crpitt said...

So glad he was ok, you probably ruined his street cred by checking up on him :)

lettuce said...

thats a relief.

my dad has just agreed to replace his ancient mobile phone for one with a decent battery life!

we had great fun trying to teach my mum how to text. She loved the idea but just couldn't get it!

Akelamalu said...

early bird
Yes it is, it does save us a lot of worry.

queenie thanks honey.

ruth Dad love his game of card, he plays bridge a lot too.

linda
Yes what goes around comes around.

I don't understand why you and Bee are having trouble, I haven't changed the colour or anything on my page?! I thought it was just the photographs causing the problem?

julia
It is definitely role reversal isn't it! Thank you for dropping by, I hope you'll call in again. :)

claire
Sometimes he says "you don't have to keep checking up on me" but he really doesn't mind, he knows it's because we love him. :)

lettuce
I have to admit my son had to teach me the complexities of the mobile phone I couldn't understand the instructions! I'm a 'show me once and I'll get it' kinda gal!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

no honey i can see the photos fine, it's the writing, the brown on pink. i make it larger but still can hardly read it. it may me my eyes though and it does look pretty!

smiles, bee

Linda said...

Maybe if I switch over to IE rather than Firefox then the colors would be better? I don't understand why the light pink only goes down about 4 inches and then it's all the dark pink. Is that how it's supposed to be?

And I have no problems with the pictures at all just like Bee, those I can see fine.

Akelamalu said...

Bee & Linda

I don't understand as I have not done anything to the colours since I first started my blog. Anyway, I've change the colours now so I hope you can see them?

Annelisa said...

Aha, now I understand the next post... I was wondering what happened!

I totally agree- the whole point of having a warden is to make sure the residents are ok, and can live their lives as they want to. She should've checked (and having read the next post :-D I think she probably will in future! lol)

(the colour scheme change... you have probably removed one of the /div (in v-shaped, on their side brackets) in the page somewhere by accident (I've done that before), so the colour of the sidebar or the top of the post, or something similar, stretches down... the blog 'reader' can't find the end of the section, so continues the colour on. All you need to do is find where there's an opening of the div on the section before the main post (could be the 'wrapper' or the 'sidebar')... I'm sure you'll find it) and then close it :-)

Akelamalu said...

annelisa
I've not been near any brackets honest! Too complicated for me. I've just changed the text colours in the bar at the top, and then only when someone said they couldn't read brown on pink.