I have once again gone to Canada to see my family. It was a shorter trip this time, but I am taking advantage of some holidays that my company has given me.
I was not as productive this time in helping my family clean up; we got most of it done last time. I did some basic chores: there is always some computer help that is needed. Plus the fire alarm needed changing and a tall person is helpful for that.
The big reason to visit is to see my father. He is still old, and mentally he has declined. He seems to be in a good place now, an actual rest home. Last time I was here, he was in a fairly run down place that I learned later was actually a halfway house. So the facility is nicer, and definitely easier to get to, but there were some features of the old place that were better. Mostly that it had a few younger people and they seemed friendlier. I think my father made friends there even if he was a bit anti-social. It is weird for me to say that because for most of my life, we couldn’t leave him unattended alone for too long in public or else he would make a new friend out of some stranger.
The highlight of the trip was going to a restaurant with the family. We got my father dressed up and then wheeled him out in his wheelchair and down the road. Cross one major street and then we are at a nice steakhouse. He loves a steak sandwich and we got him that. He also misses ice cream so we got him an entire mud pie for dessert. He eats a lot slower now so I have to pace myself to not inhale my own food; it’s hard because I am always hungry. The wheeling back was a little harder because the wheelchair doesn’t always go over bumps well, so we blocked traffic on the major road as we took too long getting off the sidewalk. But he had a good meal and was very happy.
A nice touch with this trip was that my mother gave me permission to leave the family and go visit friends in Edmonton. I drove up on Friday afternoon, early enough that I could also do my daily run in Edmonton. As soon as I got out of the car and breathed, I recognized the smell of that city. I wasn’t aware it had a smell, but it felt so familiar. After a nice run I saw my friends, borrowed their shower and took them out to dinner. Gourmet ice cream after.
The next day I ran out to see the Bob and Doug McKenzie statue (creepy) and part of Millcreek ravine. Then I took my friends out to brunch and saw another friend there too. But soon I returned back to my family, stopping off to visit my father alone for a bit. It was nice enough that I could take him outside and he could get the sun in his face.
It has been a good trip. I wish there is more that I could do for my family, but right now the best I can do is contribute financially to them. They spend a lot of time taking care of my father, but my options to help are limited when I am so far away.