Yesterday was Saint Patrick's day to the world, but to me it was a
Birthday which felt like it would be my last one on earth.

Early in the day, I ran all of my errands €“ shopping, wash car, fill
tires,
vacuum inside of vehicle, trim beard, clean house, etc. Only one small
detail remained as the hour for my reservation at favorite Northern
Italian eatery drew near: Getting my Alzheimer's Spouse dressed and out
of the house.

We had already been through the closet jammed full of female clothing and
selected a colorful suit, comprised of a long sleeved dress with matching
jacket and she had modeled it for me. No problem, right? Wrong, wrong
wrong! She was absolutely unable to don the garment this time, and the
harder that she tried the more confused that she became.

I volunteered to help. Each attempt kept winding up with head trying to
enter sleeve openings or backwards or both, plus more twisted
combinations and permutations that defied description. Finally managing
to extricate her from the tangled jumble of cloth, I pulled a matching
skirt and sweater out of the closet. No luck. She had become so fat that
the closure elements of the skirt were far apart.

Racking my brain as to what to do next, I remembered that my next door
neighbor's schoolteacher daughter was visiting during spring break. I
decided to make a desperate panic request for her to rush over and help.
No answer on the telephone. They must already be out enjoying their St.
Patrick's Day dinner somewhere. By now, we had degenerated into the
yelling and screaming phase and my only viable recourse seemed to be
trying my hand at Hara Kiri. The dinner hour was drawing near and I
hadn't even dressed myself. I yanked out of the closet another short
sleeved dress with one simple zipper in the back and demanded that she
try that. I pulled it over her head and zipped up the zipper. Success!
Pulse pounding, blood pressure something like 1000 over 500, I located my
trousers, jacket, shirt with obligatory green tie and covered my aching
body.


Arriving at the restaurant, there were a surprising number of empty
tables for a holiday. It was reassuring to be greeted by my favorite
server, whom I know by name from former visits. (At this point, I am
uncertain if my spouse can even remember my name.) Fifty or more
reminders that it was my birthday only elicited: €œYou never told me.€�

After careful perusal of the menu, I began with a memorable
Caesar Grigliato for myself. Remembering my spouse's limited capacity, I
only give her a one bite taste from my fork.
For her entrée, I stick to a previously successful Marsala di Pollo,
which they serve with Chianti rigatalli pasta & wilted spinach.
I opt for the Filetto di Manzo Ripieno
Seared beef tenderloin medallion stuffed with crab served atop saffron &
sun-dried tomato risotto, finished with roasted garlic butter sauce.

Food selected, with the capable help of our server we settle upon a
Castello di Bossi 2005 Chianti Classico. It was somewhat closed when I
took my approval taste, but kept opening up as the meal progressed,
revealing layers of wild berries, some plum, cherries, violets and nicely
restrained oak. After a while, our server brought out a massive decanter,
impressive in itself and helping admirably with the aeration of the wine,
which kept getting better and better. The wine in turn kept untangling
the Gordian Knot which was in my stomach when we first entered the
premises.

Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
day on which I was born.

On 3/18/10 11:25 AM, Godzilla Lizard wrote:

> Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
> day on which I was born.

Wow. First of all, a belated Happy Birthday to you, daikaiju-san! And
my greatest sympathies regarding your spousal travails. Having watched
both my maternal grandmother and a paternal aunt succumb to Alzhemier's,
I can say with some authority that few things are as painful as watching
someone you love slip away.

But, on to the meal, which sounds delicious. I've never heard of this
producer before but am not at all surprised that the wine was as closed
as it was at this stage of its development. Glad to hear that you could
coax it out of its shell, though.

Mark Lipton


--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:16:58 -0400, Mark Lipton wrote:

> On 3/18/10 11:25 AM, Godzilla Lizard wrote:
>
>> Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
>> day on which I was born.
>
> Wow. First of all, a belated Happy Birthday to you, daikaiju-san! And
> my greatest sympathies regarding your spousal travails. Having watched
> both my maternal grandmother and a paternal aunt succumb to Alzhemier's,
> I can say with some authority that few things are as painful as watching
> someone you love slip away.
>
> But, on to the meal, which sounds delicious. I've never heard of this
> producer before but am not at all surprised that the wine was as closed
> as it was at this stage of its development. Glad to hear that you could
> coax it out of its shell, though.
>
> Mark Lipton

I sincerely appreciate your expression of understanding, Mark.
So few people are able to comprehend what a situation such as mine can be
like. Yes, one can always find individuals who are worse off than one's
self. A few months ago, I went to one meeting of a "Caregiver's Support
Group" at the local senior center. One of the participants had a private
nurse who not only wheeled him in, but had to lift him out of the
wheelchair and into a chair at the table. And he was the Caregiver for
his spouse who was in an institution!

Happy wine drinking to all!

Godzilla

On Mar 18, 11:25*am, Godzilla Lizard > wrote:
> Yesterday was Saint Patrick's day to the world, but to me it was a
> Birthday which felt like it would be my last one on earth.
>
> Early in the day, I ran all of my errands – shopping, wash car, fill
> tires,
> vacuum inside of vehicle, trim beard, clean house, etc. Only one small
> detail remained as the hour for my reservation at favorite Northern
> Italian eatery drew near: Getting my Alzheimer's Spouse dressed and out
> of the house.
>
> We had already been through the closet jammed full of female clothing and
> selected a colorful suit, comprised of a long sleeved dress with matching
> jacket and she had modeled it for me. No problem, right? Wrong, wrong
> wrong! She was absolutely unable to don the garment this time, and the
> harder that she tried the more confused that she became.
>
> I volunteered to help. Each attempt kept winding up with head trying to
> enter sleeve openings or backwards or both, plus more twisted
> combinations and permutations that defied description. Finally managing
> to extricate her from the tangled jumble of cloth, I pulled a matching
> skirt and sweater out of the closet. No luck. She had become so fat that
> the closure elements of the skirt were far apart.
>
> Racking my brain as to what to do next, I remembered that my next door
> neighbor's schoolteacher daughter was visiting during spring break. I
> decided to make a desperate panic request for her to rush over and help.
> No answer on the telephone. They must already be out enjoying their St.
> Patrick's Day dinner somewhere. By now, we had degenerated into the
> yelling and screaming phase and my only viable *recourse seemed to be
> trying my hand at Hara Kiri. The dinner hour was drawing near and I
> hadn't even dressed myself. I yanked out of the closet another short
> sleeved dress with one simple zipper in the back and demanded that she
> try that. I pulled it over her head and zipped up the zipper. Success!
> Pulse pounding, blood pressure something like 1000 over 500, I located my
> trousers, jacket, shirt with obligatory green tie and covered my aching
> body.
>
> Arriving at the restaurant, there were a surprising number of empty
> tables for a holiday. It was reassuring to be greeted by my favorite
> server, whom I know by name from former visits. (At this point, I am
> uncertain if my spouse can even remember my name.) Fifty or more
> reminders that it was my birthday only elicited: “You never told me.”
>
> After careful perusal of the menu, I began with a memorable
> Caesar Grigliato for myself. Remembering my spouse's limited capacity, I
> only give her a one bite taste from my fork.
> For her entrée, I stick to a previously successful Marsala di Pollo,
> which they serve with Chianti rigatalli pasta & wilted spinach.
> I opt for the Filetto di Manzo Ripieno *
> Seared beef tenderloin medallion stuffed with crab served atop saffron &
> sun-dried tomato risotto, finished with roasted garlic butter sauce.
>
> Food selected, with the capable help of our server we settle upon a
> Castello di Bossi 2005 Chianti Classico. It was somewhat closed when I
> took my approval taste, but kept opening up as the meal progressed,
> revealing layers of wild berries, some plum, cherries, violets and nicely
> restrained oak. After a while, our server brought out a massive decanter,
> impressive in itself and helping admirably with the aeration of the wine,
> which kept getting better and better. The wine in turn kept untangling
> the Gordian Knot which was in my stomach when we first entered the
> premises.
>
> Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
> day on which I was born.

Happy birthday inpspite of your travails, you managed to have a
wonderful birthday meal with someone you love and care about. Glad
you enjoyed the wine. The meal sounded wonderful. Cheers!

On Mar 18, 11:25*am, Godzilla Lizard > wrote:
> Yesterday was Saint Patrick's day to the world, but to me it was a
> Birthday which felt like it would be my last one on earth.
>
> Early in the day, I ran all of my errands – shopping, wash car, fill
> tires,
> vacuum inside of vehicle, trim beard, clean house, etc. Only one small
> detail remained as the hour for my reservation at favorite Northern
> Italian eatery drew near: Getting my Alzheimer's Spouse dressed and out
> of the house.
>
> We had already been through the closet jammed full of female clothing and
> selected a colorful suit, comprised of a long sleeved dress with matching
> jacket and she had modeled it for me. No problem, right? Wrong, wrong
> wrong! She was absolutely unable to don the garment this time, and the
> harder that she tried the more confused that she became.
>
> I volunteered to help. Each attempt kept winding up with head trying to
> enter sleeve openings or backwards or both, plus more twisted
> combinations and permutations that defied description. Finally managing
> to extricate her from the tangled jumble of cloth, I pulled a matching
> skirt and sweater out of the closet. No luck. She had become so fat that
> the closure elements of the skirt were far apart.
>
> Racking my brain as to what to do next, I remembered that my next door
> neighbor's schoolteacher daughter was visiting during spring break. I
> decided to make a desperate panic request for her to rush over and help.
> No answer on the telephone. They must already be out enjoying their St.
> Patrick's Day dinner somewhere. By now, we had degenerated into the
> yelling and screaming phase and my only viable *recourse seemed to be
> trying my hand at Hara Kiri. The dinner hour was drawing near and I
> hadn't even dressed myself. I yanked out of the closet another short
> sleeved dress with one simple zipper in the back and demanded that she
> try that. I pulled it over her head and zipped up the zipper. Success!
> Pulse pounding, blood pressure something like 1000 over 500, I located my
> trousers, jacket, shirt with obligatory green tie and covered my aching
> body.
>
> Arriving at the restaurant, there were a surprising number of empty
> tables for a holiday. It was reassuring to be greeted by my favorite
> server, whom I know by name from former visits. (At this point, I am
> uncertain if my spouse can even remember my name.) Fifty or more
> reminders that it was my birthday only elicited: “You never told me.”
>
> After careful perusal of the menu, I began with a memorable
> Caesar Grigliato for myself. Remembering my spouse's limited capacity, I
> only give her a one bite taste from my fork.
> For her entrée, I stick to a previously successful Marsala di Pollo,
> which they serve with Chianti rigatalli pasta & wilted spinach.
> I opt for the Filetto di Manzo Ripieno *
> Seared beef tenderloin medallion stuffed with crab served atop saffron &
> sun-dried tomato risotto, finished with roasted garlic butter sauce.
>
> Food selected, with the capable help of our server we settle upon a
> Castello di Bossi 2005 Chianti Classico. It was somewhat closed when I
> took my approval taste, but kept opening up as the meal progressed,
> revealing layers of wild berries, some plum, cherries, violets and nicely
> restrained oak. After a while, our server brought out a massive decanter,
> impressive in itself and helping admirably with the aeration of the wine,
> which kept getting better and better. The wine in turn kept untangling
> the Gordian Knot which was in my stomach when we first entered the
> premises.
>
> Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
> day on which I was born.

Wow, incredible story that puts the trials of the rest of us in
perspective.
My sympathies, but also admiration that you are handling it well (as
well as something like this could be handled)
Glad you at enjoyed at least end of the day.

On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:04:46 -0700, DaleW wrote:

> On Mar 18, 11:25Â*am, Godzilla Lizard > wrote:
>> Yesterday was Saint Patrick's day to the world, but to me it was a
>> Birthday which felt like it would be my last one on earth.
>>
>> Early in the day, I ran all of my errands €“ shopping, wash car, fill
>> tires,
>> vacuum inside of vehicle, trim beard, clean house, etc. Only one small
>> detail remained as the hour for my reservation at favorite Northern
>> Italian eatery drew near: Getting my Alzheimer's Spouse dressed and out
>> of the house.
>>
>> We had already been through the closet jammed full of female clothing
>> and selected a colorful suit, comprised of a long sleeved dress with
>> matching jacket and she had modeled it for me. No problem, right?
>> Wrong, wrong wrong! She was absolutely unable to don the garment this
>> time, and the harder that she tried the more confused that she became.
>>
>> I volunteered to help. Each attempt kept winding up with head trying to
>> enter sleeve openings or backwards or both, plus more twisted
>> combinations and permutations that defied description. Finally managing
>> to extricate her from the tangled jumble of cloth, I pulled a matching
>> skirt and sweater out of the closet. No luck. She had become so fat
>> that the closure elements of the skirt were far apart.
>>
>> Racking my brain as to what to do next, I remembered that my next door
>> neighbor's schoolteacher daughter was visiting during spring break. I
>> decided to make a desperate panic request for her to rush over and
>> help. No answer on the telephone. They must already be out enjoying
>> their St. Patrick's Day dinner somewhere. By now, we had degenerated
>> into the yelling and screaming phase and my only viable Â*recourse
>> seemed to be trying my hand at Hara Kiri. The dinner hour was drawing
>> near and I hadn't even dressed myself. I yanked out of the closet
>> another short sleeved dress with one simple zipper in the back and
>> demanded that she try that. I pulled it over her head and zipped up the
>> zipper. Success! Pulse pounding, blood pressure something like 1000
>> over 500, I located my trousers, jacket, shirt with obligatory green
>> tie and covered my aching body.
>>
>> Arriving at the restaurant, there were a surprising number of empty
>> tables for a holiday. It was reassuring to be greeted by my favorite
>> server, whom I know by name from former visits. (At this point, I am
>> uncertain if my spouse can even remember my name.) Fifty or more
>> reminders that it was my birthday only elicited: €œYou never told me.€�
>>
>> After careful perusal of the menu, I began with a memorable Caesar
>> Grigliato for myself. Remembering my spouse's limited capacity, I only
>> give her a one bite taste from my fork. For her entrée, I stick to a
>> previously successful Marsala di Pollo, which they serve with Chianti
>> rigatalli pasta & wilted spinach. I opt for the Filetto di Manzo
>> Ripieno Seared beef tenderloin medallion stuffed with crab served atop
>> saffron & sun-dried tomato risotto, finished with roasted garlic butter
>> sauce.
>>
>> Food selected, with the capable help of our server we settle upon a
>> Castello di Bossi 2005 Chianti Classico. It was somewhat closed when I
>> took my approval taste, but kept opening up as the meal progressed,
>> revealing layers of wild berries, some plum, cherries, violets and
>> nicely restrained oak. After a while, our server brought out a massive
>> decanter, impressive in itself and helping admirably with the aeration
>> of the wine, which kept getting better and better. The wine in turn
>> kept untangling the Gordian Knot which was in my stomach when we first
>> entered the premises.
>>
>> Massive disasters at least turned into a temporary pleasant ending to a
>> day on which I was born.
>
> Wow, incredible story that puts the trials of the rest of us in
> perspective.
> My sympathies, but also admiration that you are handling it well (as
> well as something like this could be handled) Glad you at enjoyed at
> least end of the day.

Thank you Dale. Every kind word means a lot at this time.

Godzilla

"Godzilla Lizard" > skrev i melding
...
> Thank you Dale. Every kind word means a lot at this time.
>
> Godzilla
Ouch, I'm among the zillions who thought the words but didn't write them,,,
Please, think of the unspoken and unwritten ones too.
Anders

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:20:52 +0100, Anders Tørneskog wrote:

> "Godzilla Lizard" > skrev i melding
> ...
>> Thank you Dale. Every kind word means a lot at this time.
>>
>> Godzilla
> Ouch, I'm among the zillions who thought the words but didn't write
> them,,, Please, think of the unspoken and unwritten ones too. Anders

I appreciate your thoughts, whether written or not.

Godzilla