In case you don’t remember, I’m staying with my son Doug here in Virginia Beach while I play Grampnanny for my grandson Liam. More on that in a bit, but that’s how I found out I was old. No it’s not doing the “nanny” thing though that does make you tired. He’s a busy boy.
Every Friday night Doug and I have a tradition that we started my first or second week here: Friday we do take out, or what’s now called “curb-side pick up,” I guess. This week he laughed because it was 4:15 p.m. and I asked what he was hungry for and then said, “Do you want to get it now?” He laughed and said, “It’s only 4:15! How old are you?” Cute.
Then Saturday morning he woke up before me and turned on the TV to watch “The Today Show.” When I walked out later he said, “I found another sign that you’re getting old, the volume was all the way up to 30!” You’re really cute, did you know that?
In my defense, I was watching the History Channel special on Ulysses S. Grant and I couldn’t hear the dialogue. Doug did admit that, for some reason, when watching something “On Demand” on his television the volume does need to be turned up.
So there you have it — I’m old. Truthfully I’m only 58 turning 59 in July. My younger son, Matt, saw me on my phone the other day and said, “Are you on Tik Tok?” I said, “Yeah I wanted to see what this is all about but I don’t get it.” He said, “That’s because you’re old.” I guess all my kids are cute. I’m so proud.
I don’t feel old….or at least until I move. The body may have plenty of mileage on it but in my mind I feel like I’m young. At least until I forget why I walked into a room. Here’s a trick I learned from Stan Lipp: Walk back out of the room. It helps to remind you of why you went in.
Oh I was going to tell you about my “roomate” situation. I think I’ve told you that I’m staying with Doug and not at my daughter’s house because his wife, Marla, is away on deployment. She is on the U.S.S. Eisenhower and they have not hit any ports on this deployment because of the Coronavirus. No one on the ship has the disease and they want to keep it that way.
Usually an aircraft carrier will visit a port every 30 days or so, that way the crew can relax and recharge and enjoy a little freedom from the close quarters on the ship. They have been at sea since the middle of January and have already been extended until late-August and even that’s not definite. If you’re tired of being restricted in your life, at your house, imagine being stuck on a ship with 5,000 other people and not being able to go out for a walk. And it’s been like that for six months.
The Navy is trying to keep their spirits up. Marla, and others, enjoyed a “Swim Call” where they got to go for a swim, jumping off the ship. She said that was one of the coolest things she has ever done in the Navy. They have “Steel Beach Picnics” (a barbecue on the flight deck) and movie nights.
The family is trying to help out by sending emails, care packages and pictures of her dog, Roscoe. I’ll say it again, I have the utmost respect for families that went through this before email. It may take her a day or two to write back but we do hear from her. I can’t imagine weeks or months with no contact.
So I do what I can to keep her husband busy. He is doing a lot of projects around the house and —— evidently—- putting up with the old guy in the guest room.
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