Cackling...

I cannot stay out of trouble, it is a talent I have honed over a lifetime. I own it in its entirety.

Willie and I are settling in with the old folks. Dad is still pretty active what with golf, his cronies, and soundly beating me in our ongoing RC helos battles, mom is bedridden. 

I got the not so bright idea to use walkie talkies to communicate with them at night, as I'm on the other end of the house.  That fine little experiment in torture lasted about two nights.  Mom would push all the buttons and shout into it at dad, who was sleeping without his hearing aids next to her. Then someone in a two mile radius decided to practice with his gobbler call at o dark thirty.  Back to the store with the walkie talkies.  Not willing to give it up too easily, I got a set of baby monitors so I can hear them if they need me at night...  The monitors work really well, if you put them on as low volume as possible, and have gotten comfortable with short naps.  I spent too many night years listening for the Cowman's breathing to change, so any changes around me and I'm awake. Willie does not seem to have this ability and sleeps thru everything. Damn dog.  I was on the very verge of losing it, when a thoughtful friend called and said, "turn the damn thing off, and get some sleep!" 

Next came the bedpan saga.  They had a monster of a bedpan that was nothing but horrible to lift mom onto.  Then lifting her off wasn't much fun either, especially as she was screaming in my ear that I was killing her. And honestly...., well I went in search of a new slim line low profile bedpan, ordered that sucker, and waited for it's arrival, like only the delusional can.  Got it, she hated it, not because it didn't work 10 times better, no, because it was my idea.  As graciously as possible, (ahhh quit, it's my blog) I asked, ok, pleaded with the lady that comes in the mornings to slip it to her.  Now she is fine with it, because she thinks the caregiver got it for her.

It seems I bump heads with her everyday, and I'm so used to being on my own that I just don't seem to be good at toning it down.

Why just today, as I was picking her up to reposition her on the bed she said, "I'm too heavy for you to be lifting."  
And I said, "Damn straight you are, you old broad!"  and then the cackling started...