JOAN’S BLOG – THURS/FRI, APRIL 1/2, 2010 – SOMETIMES YOU NEED A DAY OF LAUGHTER

I certainly have had my share of depression and sadness lately, directly and indirectly related to my husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease. Other family issues that are weighing heavily on my mind and heart are adversely affecting my Alzheimer’s related patience. But yesterday’s day off was filled with much needed laughter. 

I am a neat freak. It must come as part of being a control freak. My kitchen counters and bathroom vanities must be clear of clutter.  No dishes in the sink. The bed must be made.  (Is it any wonder our neurologist was sure I was going have a tough time with my husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease?) But………..for some reason, this fastidiousness does not carry over to my car. Since I am now driving what was Sid’s car, I try to be careful, but when I had my own car……………..work folders, candy wrappers, papers, mail, therapy materials from my job, some empty water bottles…….you get the idea. Yesterday, when we got into my friend’s van, I burst out laughing. The van had that, shall we say, “lived in” look. There was everything that used to be in my car, with added bonuses of drink and food related items. Sid, who was always sloppy at home, but kept a pristine car (go figure!), was appalled. I was applauding and giggling.

The guys spent the afternoon at the St. Louis Cardinals/Washington Nationals spring training baseball game. My friend’s husband has season tickets, goes to every game, and has excellent seats behind home plate. While they were enjoying the game, we went to lunch, a little shopping, and swapped hilarious stories of our caregiving misadventures. In one novelty store, we debated over buying cocktail napkins imprinted with the saying, “A clear conscious is a sign of a bad memory”, but finally decided against it.

When the game was over, we picked up the guys, and headed out to an early supper. Put together two women with somewhat questionable directional skills, in the same car with two husbands, who, although in the throes of different dementias, have always had excellent directional skills, one of whom was a military and commercial airline pilot, and you have a prescription for humor. I must admit it was the two women, my friend and I, who found the directional issues quite funny. The husbands – not so much. The pilot was in the front passenger seat, kept his temper in check rather well during the slight “roundabout” (known as “rotaries” in other parts of the country), and “which street to take” confusions. I did not catch all of the mumbling by Mr. Sid Perfect Sense of Direction, sitting next to me in the back seat, but it was something about me, my sister with a directional sense worse than mine, and not believing that my driving friend was another “one of those”.

We made it back on the road in plenty of time for me to return home before dark. I have poor night vision, and am not comfortable driving in darkness. Another black mark against my driving, according to Sid, who never  misses an opportunity to tell me, “If I was still driving, we could stay as late as we want. I have no trouble seeing in the dark.”

On the way home, the conversation proceeded:

Me: Did you have a nice day?
Him: Yes
Me: Did you enjoy the game?
Him: Yes
Me: Who won?
Him: I don’t remember.
 
As we say on the message boards – “All righty then!”

But I had a much needed laugh filled day off.

Feedback to joan@thealzheimerspouse.com 

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The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
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