Busy day.

Had to go over to Temple today to run a few errands... Get my laundry to the cleaners to be pressed and see if I could get in to see my eye doctor. It's been a few years since I had them checked (not good - type 2 diabetes) and I wanted to get dad's old Air Force sunglasses fixed with my prescription so I can wear them.

As I was driving over I called mom to see what she was up to and she reminded me that today was dad's birthday. I'd totally forgotten. He would'a been 86 years old. We made plans to eat after I got my stuff done. I floated an idea that we could go to Green's and have burgers, but then she said she had the fixin's to put together some chicken enchiladas, "if I had the time". Boy, did I! It was turnin' out to be my lucky day.

I walked into the hospital at about 2:45 and got an appointment for 3:30 with the eye doctor, just like that. How can ya beat it? They checked me out and there's not much of a change in my eyes, and no sign of cataracts or issues from the diabetes. All good news. The new lenses for the glasses and shades will take about a week, so I should have them in time for the road trip.

I headed over to mom's, eyes dilated, old shades offering some relief, and sat down to feast on the good vittles. She topped it off with some good Jell-o, with fruit mixed in. Great stuff. As we both cleaned up the kitchen, rinsing off the plates and putting the leftovers away, mom started to tell me about how, just about every day, she'll lean back from her chair to tell dad about something she's just seen on the TV, only to catch herself. Or she'll wake up from a nap and for a second she'll think that she needs to get up and get his dinner on, and then she'll remember. Hearing that breaks my heart, but there's nothing I can do about it. Some things in life you just can't do anything about.

So I drove back over here to Killeen, eyes still dilated and now ballin' on and off like a fool. It's a wonder I made it back over here alive. I met Denise over at the college athletic facility and we spent some time together swimming in the pool.

As soon as I jumped in the deep end and was workin' my way under that cool water my sorrows were washed away. I love swimming. Now that I sit here, typing this out, about to give a test, the feelings are coming back. But there's nothing I can do about anything. It's just life. Maybe in time it'll get easier? I'm told it will, but I doubt it.

Well, it's test time. I wonder if I'll feel any better if I take it out on these folks? Naaaaaaaa.

Happy Birthday Daddy!