Iowa trip (November 8-14, 2013)

As noted here, our annual November visit up to Iowa was quite a bit different than in recent years.  Car wreck #1 didn't seem to be too serious (except from the Oldsmobile's perspective), but car wreck #2 was a different story - my mom was bounced around a bit but miraculously pretty much intact, while my dad took a direct shot and ended up with some injuries.  Notwithstanding some marvelous work by a surgeon in Mason City, we rather expected that he would be rehabbing in the Algona hospital throughout our entire visit.  (Though we had heard some reports that he had been seen dancing in the halls, spending copious amounts of time visiting other patients, and sundry other activities inconsistent with what one might expect from an 84-year-old wrecker of multiple cars (and breaker of multiple bones).)

Even buying coffee is a bit of a friendly negotiation . . . with Therese in St. Paul.  (Successful outcome.)

Anyway, we arrived in MSP without incident on November 8; met with Therese for a fine lunch and even (finally) got a tour of her and Mark's new home - pretty easy to see why they selected it, and like it so much.  Then TMG, PJ and I drove directly to Algona hospital - one look at EMG and we could see he indeed was well on the road to recovery.  (And we quickly learned that the rumors about dancing and visiting were true, if understated.)  Cecilia was there (as part of a relay of sibling-helpers that continues to this day).  Chatted up the patient a bit; dinner at Emerald's (had a quorum for a blue-guy club meeting but deferred calling the meeting to order in Carol's absence); then to St. Joe.

Humboldt - enjoying broasted chicken - and pie - with my Mom.  Nice.

Saturday 11/9:  went to funeral for David McKibben in Livermore, followed by church basement lunch.  Had a chance to chat with quite a few folks there (Kathy, Mary Lou, John Gales, Theresa & Dale, etc.), it was quite nice.  Cecilia and Therese back to Twin Cities (after stopping at hospital); Grandma napped a bit; PJ shopped for groceries and started dinner; then in mid-afternoon up to hospital to spend time with the patient.  Late dinner in St. Joe.

Much enjoy the view of the farm up the hill . . . plus, we got to see some snow.

Sunday 11/10:  went to Mass in Humboldt followed by "broasted chicken" dinner in the school gymnasium (quite good!); another nap session, then to hospital, back for late supper.

Carpet = stretched!!  And it only took 11 years!

Monday 11/11:  weather changing - saw some snow.  Long-awaited carpet-stretching process actually happened! Tim Altman and "Bulldog" did nice work.  Handled various other tasks around the house.  Lunch at a little Chinese place in downtown Algona - actually pretty tasty - then attended what had been billed as a "care conference" with EMG's care team.  It was short (and there was no conferring):  they told us there was no way to justify keeping him in the hospital any more, he would be discharged first thing Tuesday.  So that was a pleasant surprise.  Both he and HSG had physical therapy, during which time PJ and I ran some errands around Algona.  Really cold during this time.  Eventually back to St. Joe for late supper and more tasks.

This guy can't be held down.  Showing photos of car wrecks and neck stitchery while 
reluctantly doing his un-desired physical therapy.  The PT is enthralled, or something..

Tuesday:  early to hospital to pick up the now-discharged patient; headed directly to Mason City for follow-up appointment with the surgeon; Steve joined for this.  Then a session with the lawyer, which took a while but went well enough.  Late lunch at Culver's; swung by the wrecked Cadillac to get some tools that had been left behind in the trunk.  Oops - trunk had been left open, significant rain followed by a hard freeze in the meantime - so here I am, chipping away trying to free up a few tools and some jumper cables from rock-ice in the trunk.  Interesting, and somewhat chilling, experience.  We then did a comprehensive drive-through of the scene of the wreck in Ventura, Iowa.  Then picked up prescription (to be lightly used) and cane (destined to be unused) in Algona.  Then - finally - back to St. Joe.  PJ put together another fine, late supper.  A not-restful night, but all in all things went fine.

Admiring the surgeon's handiwork.  A neck full of metal, successfully placed.  (So far as we can tell.)

Wednesday:  not really recalling much detail of the early part of the day here; dealt with phone calls, visitors, home health visit, etc.  PJ took Grandma to Algona to get her hair fixed in afternoon, also to pick up groceries; then she started cooking.  Dick Erpelding picked up EMG and me to go to Jimmy Hilbert wake - got to see quite a few folks there and to hear  KC rosary, haven't heard that in quite awhile.  Dick took them home, while PJ and I swung over to visit Caroline at her new place.  It is quite lovely, a good choice, we had such a nice visit.  But no card games, and quite a few memories of our much-missed fourth - such a loss.  Back to St. Joe for a late supper and another not-restful night.

PJ with Caroline at her new place.

Thursday:  breakfast, various tasks, the morning flew by, Dolores showed up to continue the relay, then we headed to MSP and back to Phoenix.

It was good to have an opportunity to help out, and good to see the progress.  Still a ways to go, but this could (and by all rights probably should) have been much, much worse.

Mayhem on Iowa roads

Just back from a trip to Iowa - scheduled back in early October, but the recent roadway wreckage in which EMG has been a central figure certainly altered the tenor of our visit.

The two vehicles below were totaled within a period of about 72 hours; EMG behind the wheel both times; and not found at fault either time.  Created lots of scrap metal to be sure.


Top wreck occurred north of Algona - EMG enroute to Burt for tire repair by the estimable Arnie Berte.

Bottom wreck occurred west of Clear Lake - returning home from a great-granddaughter baptism.

Mom and Dad have a lot to deal with, but seem to be coming along fine.  With fine assists from my siblings, to be sure.

Will shortly put up a few notes from our trip.

A day with Dad (almost 45 years ago)

Thinking quite a bit about my parents these days following their recent car accident.  Particularly my Dad, who at the moment remains in the hospital for a bit longer notwithstanding good (surprisingly good, I think) overall recovery progress.

Last evening I randomly ran across this diary entry from December 27, 1968.  What a fine day this must have been!

 Observations:

1.  One-on-one time with a parent was a rare treat for any of us, just given the numbers.  Even better - this was on a day where it wasn't possible to work.  So Dad and I were essentially just hanging out, killing time, while Mom did errands.

2.  Dad was still in his 30s - just a week short of his 40th birthday.  He was the father of eight - thus far.  I was a 12-year-old seventh-grader.

3.  "Busher (sic) Bros" was the Minneapolis Moline implement dealer in Algona where Dad shopped for corn shellers and corn sheller parts.  "Free!" coffee and donuts for us (while Mom had to do the grocery-shopping work).

4.  Next up for Mom:  getting her hair done up.  Probably by "Odell" - wife of Jiggs Kollasch - Jiggs operated a tiny gas station and grocery store (probably already closed down by late '68) right along highway 169, and Odell used some of the space for her "salon."  (Hairdressing was in preparation for a big weekend ahead, which my diary indicates included Francis Bormann's wedding on the following day.)

5.   "Me and Dad went to Alfred Reding" during the hairdressing session - A.R. lived less than a mile to the west and was a corn-shelling and trucking customer.  Dad did a fair amount of collection work over the holidays - belated payment for work typically performed months earlier.  Alfred Reding was a great talker (and a great guy) - sometimes the theorizing got overwhelming, but I characterize this day's interaction as "good talk."  My mood probably was enhanced by "candy and bottle of pop."  (Plus I was favorably inclined towards Mr. Reding because he paid me the first dollar I ever earned in my life - had previously given me $2 for helping scoop soybeans out of his overhead bins.)

6.  I claim we almost slipped off the road traveling back to Jiggs's place, which seems unlikely.  But upon returning safely to the store-salon, Dad and I killed time playing ping-pong - I wonder how that went?  Don't remember ever playing ping-pong with him, but there it is in red and white.

7.  Reference to "red and black paints for Model A" - my godfather (Romie) had given me two metal model cars for Christmas, and I was working to make those (and, obviously, needed paint).  Only time we ever worked with not-plastic model cars, these were quite neat.

I started keeping a diary as a child solely to imitate my Dad, who always maintained one.  (Which is one reason I use - and so like - the Montaigne quote atop this website.)  I maintain the diary habit via this website.  If there's a point to all this mundane scribbling, I realize that it's primarily limited to my own benefit and/or amusement - such as jogging memories for me from a wondrous day-with-Dad that I would not otherwise recall.  

So I plan to keep scribbling.