While the Cat's Away the Mice Will .......

Head of Household is a somewhat new role for me. For the first time, I claimed it on my taxes. After all, I think I may have always been the head of the household in a number of respects. In other ways, I have not been the head of this household. But now, for sure, I carry that mantle.

It's odd that I feel like my 90-year-old father is my teenager. Whenever I go out of town, he has his 'friend' spend the night. When I'm at home, we've got this tacit understanding that he doesn't have sleepovers. I know myself well enough that, despite my many liberal leanings and easygoing temperment, I would have a very difficult time if Dad had 'sleepovers' while I was at home. In a way I'm sad to say that I would feel a bit queasy. Some things I can't handle, at least not right now. As soon as Dad knows I'm leaving town, he calls his friend. As soon as I am halfway down the street, the friend is on his way.

On Monday Carmi came back on duty. She arrived at the house to find Dad confused and delirious. This is a sure sign that he has an infection. They went to the ER and Dad was admitted to the hospital. This is a scene we have had numerous times since Dad has moved in. Carmi called while I was in San Francisco. She thinks he'll be fine. He was coming down with a cold as we were getting ready to leave town. Laura, Kyle and I were all prepared for this. It is unavoidable at 90. Laura had a cold, he got too curious about her health, he wanted to examine her. She balked, she refused to let him. She was trying to keep him away from her. He doesn't realize that since he is no longer in practice, no longer getting constant exposure to germs via patients, that his resistance is very low. He can't ward off germs like he could while he was an active physician which leaves him susceptible to just about anything. Having had pneumonia at least six times, everything he gets goes into his lungs. I have now lost track of how many times he's been hospitalized with pneumonia.

Carmi thinks he's going to be fine. I don't think she's just saying that. He's like an old Timex watch......just keeps on ticking.......