View Full Version : Dad Called And Asked Me To Stop After Work
Jeff '79
11-28-2016, 7:37pm
The Hot Water Tank is leaking.
I have no tools on me so I show up.
The braided outlet hose was indeed leaking. He shut the valve off above that so the house didn't get supply. The valve before , not so much, so the basement rug was all wet.
Poor dad. 84 years old. Could've fixed that in a nano second back in the day...
So I go to Blowes for a supply line. They only have an 18" and I need a 12". I knew it wouldn't work, but brought it anyway. All of the plumbing supply houses close at 5 so Blow's was my only option.
Long story short, no go. I told him no water until he got the right part.
He told me to put the old braided hose back on and that he'd duct tape it !!!
Oh, poor dad has lost it.... I had to explain that duct tape wouldn't work and the floor would be a real mess in the morning. Wait for the right part. You can live w/o water for 12 hours.....
A 10 minute fix for me turned into a 2 hour babysitting session.... At least he's still here.
It's sad though......
A 10 minute fix for me turned into a 2 hour babysitting session.... At least he's still here.
It's sad though......
:seasix::seasix:
still on his own at 84? :willy:
have space to have him live with you?
Jeff '79
11-28-2016, 7:47pm
still on his own at 84? :willy:
have space to have him live with you?
No, not alone.
My mom is there bitching in the back ground and my 43 year old sister lives there too.
still on his own at 84? :willy:
have space to have him live with you?
My 98 year old grandmother lives alone in a town home. She still cooks and cleans and can tell you anything you want to know about any MLB player.
She flew to Memphis to spend Thanksgiving with the family. She shopped all day Friday and Saturday with my wife and myself. She may be slow but she ain't gonna stop.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161129/6c1fc57b6a3c5ebf9a616af4dbdc9dfc.jpg
OddBall
11-28-2016, 7:54pm
Mom and dad (step-dad) are 86 and 84 and doing OK. They have old folk issues, but all-in-all I'm thankful that they are doing as well as they are.
Loco Vette
11-28-2016, 7:57pm
:seasix: On you though!
boracayjohnny
11-28-2016, 9:06pm
Jeff, take one "Atta Boy" from Petty Cash. :seasix::cert:
JRD77VET
11-28-2016, 9:11pm
Jeff, take one "Atta Boy" from Petty Cash. :seasix::cert:
:iagree:
You should be overjoyed he's still around to ask for help :yesnod:
VatorMan
11-28-2016, 9:11pm
I wish I could fix something for my Dad. :sadangel: Hard headed SOB - just like me.
Jeff '79
11-28-2016, 9:17pm
I wish I could fix something for my Dad. :sadangel: Hard headed SOB - just like me.
Mine too.
He thought that I just wanted out by saying you need the right part and we can't get it until tomorrow.
After some gentle massaging, he got it.
Jeezus.... He didn't even know the correct valve to turn off....
Alltimers must be creeping in.
It sucks watching him grow old and then one day you walk by a mirror and you see him.
markids77
11-28-2016, 9:24pm
Mine too.
He thought that I just wanted out by saying you need the right part and we can't get it until tomorrow.
After some gentle massaging, he got it.
Jeezus.... He didn't even know the correct valve to turn off....
Alltimers must be creeping in.
My folks are 83 and live 1008 miles from my front door. I have always been the "mechanic" in the family and over the phone diagnoses don't fly anymore.
You are indeed fortunate to live close enough to assist; I envy you that.
I'm 890 miles from dad and mom.
Jeff '79
11-28-2016, 9:38pm
My folks are 83 and live 1008 miles from my front door. I have always been the "mechanic" in the family and over the phone diagnoses don't fly anymore.
You are indeed fortunate to live close enough to assist; I envy you that.
True dat.
I don't even argue anymore. I just go there, go to Blowes, fix it.
No tools really left me at a disadvantage.
I would have just soldered the correct stuff in there instead of the junk braided hose. Who uses that on a HWT? :slap:
Aerovette
11-28-2016, 9:40pm
It sucks watching him grow old and then one day you walk by a mirror and you see him.
Truest words ever. When you are growing up, you are not living their age. It happens though. It struck me in my 30s that I was older than the youngest age I could remember my dad being. Saw him in his 30s 40s 50s and now I am passing through those years and I see the parallels.
My dad is 78 and he was under the RV replacing the hydraulic leveling jacks. I can only hope. My mom is 75 and cooks dinner each night and cleans when she's done. They are always going somewhere and doing something. Even if only for an hour.
I'm glad they're living with me. Precious few years in any of us at this point.
Iron Chef
11-28-2016, 9:41pm
I haven't had a conversation with my Dad in over 10 years since he passed away.
What I wouldn't give to babysit him for one more day.
Not baggin' on you Jeff...I was there with my folks too. It was hard.
Just....damn.... :sadangel:
Jeff '79
11-28-2016, 9:43pm
It sucks watching him grow old and then one day you walk by a mirror and you see him.
Truest words ever. When you are growing up, you are not living their age. It happens though. It struck me in my 30s that I was older than the youngest age I could remember my dad being. Saw him in his 30s 40s 50s and now I am passing through those years and I see the parallels.
My dad is 78 and he was under the RV replacing the hydraulic leveling jacks. I can only hope. My mom is 75 and cooks dinner each night and cleans when she's done. They are always going somewhere and doing something. Even if only for an hour.
I'm glad they're living with me. Precious few years in any of us at this point.
:yesnod:
H6otmy3DAK8
It sucks watching him grow old and then one day you walk by a mirror and you see him.
Or hear him when you speak.
boracayjohnny
11-28-2016, 10:15pm
I don't think I'll hear my dad speak through me. Most of the time he said, "Damnit Johnny".
:D
I tease. I even heard myself cough a few times recently with the same sound as Daddy.
He told me to put the old braided hose back on and that he'd duct tape it !!!
Oh, poor dad has lost it.... I had to explain that duct tape wouldn't work and the floor would be a real mess in the morning.
You have to use teflon tape, THEN use the duct tape on top of that. For a permanent repair, use a couple of zip ties, too.
:dance:
Aerovette
11-28-2016, 11:18pm
You have to use teflon tape, THEN use the duct tape on top of that. For a permanent repair, use a couple of zip ties, too.
:dance:
And this...
http://flexreviews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/work16-flexseal.jpg
Stevedore
11-29-2016, 7:00am
It's good that you can help him out, OP. :seasix:
It reminds me of many years ago when my father was installing a new heating furnace (hot water), and asked me to solder the copper plumbing connections, because he thought I'd do a better job. HE had taught ME how to do that many years before! Made me feel good that he trusted me, and asked for my help, but a little depressing that he was starting to lose his self-confidence.
Black94lt1
11-29-2016, 8:11am
:iagree:
You should be overjoyed he's still around to ask for help :yesnod:
Agreed, I'm lucky to still have both my parents at 78 and my mother-in-law at 90 and I find myself doing quite a bit for them these days. Parents are 150 miles away and mother-in-law is 60 miles away, but I make both of those drives quite a bit these days to help out where I can and make things a little easier and less stressful for them.
Cats In The Cradle-Harry Chapin - YouTube
Broken Wind
11-29-2016, 8:33am
16 years ago when i first moved to the DC area, my parents came to visit. We walked all over the mall area in Aug. Must have walked miles in that heat and humidity.
Today, they are 83 and 81. Dad can barely walk after two TIAs, and his mind is sharp as a spoon. Mom is beginning to show early signs of the family curse of dimentia.
It's ****ing sad. I do not expect Dad to live to see 84. I'd love to get him into assisted living, but he's a hardheaded old fart. They live 5 hrs from both my sister and I and neither of us can be there for them like we would like to.
16 years ago when i first moved to the DC area, my parents came to visit. We walked all over the mall area in Aug. Must have walked miles in that heat and humidity.
Today, they are 83 and 81. Dad can barely walk after two TIAs, and his mind is sharp as a spoon. Mom is beginning to show early signs of the family curse of dimentia.
It's ****ing sad. I do not expect Dad to live to see 84. I'd love to get him into assisted living, but he's a hardheaded old fart. They live 5 hrs from both my sister and I and neither of us can be there for them like we would like to.
My Father had the same issue around the same age. We tried to get him and my step mother help. One day my Step mothers slipped and fell and banged her head at night. Neither wanted to make an issue of it.
She died since she was taking Coumadin and her brain was crushed by the leaking blood. It still bothers my wife and I that we did not push harder.:sadangel::sadangel:
Aerovette
11-29-2016, 1:04pm
My Father had the same issue around the same age. We tried to get him and my step mother help. One day my Step mothers slipped and fell and banged her head at night. Neither wanted to make an issue of it.
She died since she was taking Coumadin and her brain was crushed by the leaking blood. It still bothers my wife and I that we did not push harder.:sadangel::sadangel:
Very sad. I know I am bothered by not making a bigger issue of my Mother-in-Law's hospice care. I brought it up to a point that I was starting to get push back from my wife and her family and since it is not blood, I backed off. I am still haunted by it. Hospice is simply euthanization at a slower, agonizing, pace. I apologize to anyone that offends, but I watched it, I watched the process, I watched and spoke to the doctor, I watched it daily and you will never convince me otherwise.
We all have regrets. :sadangel:
Very sad. I know I am bothered by not making a bigger issue of my Mother-in-Law's hospice care. I brought it up to a point that I was starting to get push back from my wife and her family and since it is not blood, I backed off. I am still haunted by it. Hospice is simply euthanization at a slower, agonizing, pace. I apologize to anyone that offends, but I watched it, I watched the process, I watched and spoke to the doctor, I watched it daily and you will never convince me otherwise.
We all have regrets. :sadangel:
For the last year of my fathers life one of the first questions he'd ask when I came to visit was" did you bring a gun?" He was miserable and wanted to die. This was a man who fought in WWII and Korea and knew death up close and personal.
We treat our pets better.
One of my friends years ago had enlighten parents. His Dad called him and his sister who were both out on their own and wanted to talk to them.
He told them that both he and the Mom ( both in late 50's) were both sick and they were selling the house and getting an apartment. My friend and his sister protested and told the parents that they will help with the house since they both grew up in it.
The father said, "no, you both have your own lives". My friend said at the time both he and the sister were ticked. As the years past both brother and sister appreciate what the parents did and it was the right choice to sell it.
I wished my elderly parents did the above. It would have been a lot easier on me and better for them.
As a Note to you guys. Go find someone who sells Long term care insurance for yourselves. The younger you are the lower the monthly premium is.
Kerrmudgeon
11-29-2016, 3:56pm
I catch my 93 year old man doing stuff he USED to be able to do and shouldn't be doing now all the time. Last fiasco he was rewiring a floor lamp he found in the trash, using electricians black tape to tape all the wires together. :willy:.....no wire nuts! Plugged it in and blew the oven up, shorted the plug on the stove.....lots of fireworks. Lucky he didn't electrocute himself. It's hard to teach an old dog...even old tricks!
He just came back from a walk and he fell on the ice, scraped his hand.....proceeded to soak it in Hot water. I said ICE not hot......sheesh, now it's swollen from the heat. :doh:
Just glad he didn't break a hip or something. :(
As a Note to you guys. Go find someone who sells Long term care insurance for yourselves. The younger you are the lower the monthly premium is.
Yes, a Financial Advisor will advise a young person to do this and the youngster is at a loss to see the need for it. It's to protect assets. The average person will spend 3 years in an Assisted Care or Nursing Home.
In New York State Assisted Care is $3000 a month and Nursing Home is $11,500 a month, around $350 a day plus tax. Yes, NYS charges you or your insurance $28 a day tax to stay in a Nursing Home.
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