back from Spain

I came back from Spain yesterday.  Because of the time change, I woke up very early today and went out to see my brother about a half hour earlier than I usually do.  By being away for a little more than a week, we had a little more than usual to talk about.  I gave him a brief 60 second version of my trip, he told me how he had won 8 times in Bingo in one day.  Today is Easter, and yesterday, they had a seder for Passover at the nursing home.  He said it lasted about an hour, and that the chaplain had asked him to read the four questions.  I told him I wouldn't even know what the four questions were, let alone the answers. 

When I put his walker in my car, I noticed some liquid oozing out of the little box that is there to hold personal items.  With trepidation I opened it and discovered all sorts of packets of mustard, ketchup, butter, and cream.  I cannot figure this out because he has no access to food other than at his meals, so what is he using the condiments for?  I could not get a straight story out of him, he was pretty sheepish.  I mentioned to him that he could get very sick from eating rancid butter and cream and that this stuff needed to be refrigerated or it went bad.  So I scooped out the butter and cream, and then washed my hands, which were pretty grimy.   I also found a bag of gummi worm type candies, and when I asked where they came from, he told me the chaplain had given them to him because he wanted to "get rid of it".

When we came back to the nursing home, I spoke to his nurse Stephanie about the need for someone to check the contents of his walker on a daily basis.  I also expressed my concern that given his choking problems, gummi candy was probably not a good idea.  She agreed and said she would write into his chart the need to look into the walker.  I give the chances of this actually happening at about 5%.

As I was leaving, I ran into one of the CNTs that we really liked who had been switched to the first floor (my brother is on the second.)  She saw me and ran up and gave me a big hug.  I think I got the hug because we had given her a gift certificate for Christmas, and back then, she had started crying when she received it.  She is a really nice lady, and I felt really good about the hug.