Haircut

To my son Tommy,

"Nice haircut," your PopPop quipped to you and me, admiring our freshly buzzed hairdos courtesy of your mother and the house clippers. "I got mine cut to," he continued, adding as he looked at me with a grin and a wink, "That way I will look nice in the box if I croak on this surgery." I laughed. Not sure what it is about both your grandfathers, as they both have this twisted sense of humor when it comes to death. I suppose it is a generation thing, or perhaps a military thing. It makes your mother uncomfortable, and probably your grandmothers too. Come to think of it, that might be why your grandfathers make those kinds of jokes.

Not sure what it says about me that I inherited this morbid sense of comedy and that I chuckle or downright belly laugh at most of their jokes as I join in. I replied, "Well, you will look nice. And if you do croak, I will try to bundle for a group rate at the funeral home with all my family members." He laughed back.

Thank goodness PopPop can sport his new haircut from outside the pine box. He had a little bit of a complication with the incision area after the surgery, but the word on the street is the surgery went smoothly. He had to stay the night at the hospital, but is home now.

I have learned through your Grandpa Leo and PopPop's surgery, that at Johns Hopkins hospital at least, when they move you from the surgery waiting room to the waiting room to be brought back to recovery, that they won't come get you. For your Grandpa Leo, your mom and I waited about an hour or two before forcing our way back to his recovery room. I think your mom and Bwama waited about three hours before forcing their way back to PopPop's recovery room. Lesson learned. when it comes to recovery rooms, don't settle for the waiting game.

As for the rest of the potential funeral home group rate candidates, there isn't much new. Your Great Grandpa Leo has moved from a home care to hospice designation but not much has changed. Your Nana Jeanne went to the doctors today for diverticulitis pain and is going to a doctor to get the biopsy results tomorrow with your mom. Your Grandpa Leo goes to two oncologists tomorrow with your Great Aunt Mo there for an extra set of ears. Your Grandpa Leo recently thought he might have the shingles on top of everything else but the urgent care docs say it is a spider bite or ant bites, which draws into question if your Grandmom Roro actually has shingles as well on top of everything else she constantly deals with.

The rest of the group (those of us in less critical condition that have a good chance of avoiding the discount rate at the funeral parlor) has plenty going on as well. Coughs, and colds, and crohn's flairs, and that is just the stuff that starts with "C". So when the going gets tough, you and I get haircuts.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo