A visit with my friend.

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It took me calling several times to finally get through to the place he stays. I don't know that they are truly short staffed, though they might be. Or they simply don't have a dedicated phone staff. And, as big as the place is, I can see where they would be busy in any case. Dedicated phone staff isn't always possible. No problem, just frustrating. He is at a center to help him learn to use the prosthetic. His sister now has legal authority over decisions, in case he becomes incapacitated. Though he still is basically in charge. There are many good things about the arrangement.

Anyway, what he wanted was food and more food. So after finally actually contacting him, I headed into to town and stopped to do a bit of grocery shopping. Just snack foods as he doesn't have a refrigerator. Cheese and crackers, two different kinds, peanut butter and crackers, cookies, donuts, and some other stuff. A pretty pennies worth, which should keep him in eats for a good week, as snack supplements to what they feed him anyway. I also gave him $30, as he only had $8 on him. I've been broke in a hospital before. It sucks. He doesn't have a lot of need, but who knows. Maybe they will go out some day and he will have a chance to buy a sundae, soda, or other gedunk. If nothing else, he knows he has a little bit of cash.

We chatted up a storm. I stayed, oh, maybe four hours, five? I think he needed a visitor. For a bit he had no contact with any of us. They took him in the middle of last month. He didn't have anyone's phone numbers! I suppose he couldn't remember where they were. He had half memorized them, but then the surgery and being a hospital, and trying to figure everything else out, he became befuddled. Oh, it's not an age thing, I have been there. Especially when you are really sick or in pain, the brain just can't pull it up, you become doubtful, make mistakes, then just give up. He finally just sent a letter to Newton with just my name and the city, and hoped they would know what to do with it. It worked.

For my part, I had been calling and visiting. For obvious reasons now, to no avail. I really was concerned but I had no way of... finding him, or learning his fate. I now have his sister's phone number and address. I sort of knew where she lived, but was always baffled about which street to take. There are many streets similar to it, yet when on the right street I know right how to get there. Now I have the data, which I will put both in my cell phone and in my address book. I feel bad that he was stuck and alone.

Well, it was a good talk. He really wants to get out and about. He would also like to have some of his guns available, for shooting. I suggested he speak with the facility people, and see if they would lend him a wheelchair for outside. Then speak with his sister about us visiting and getting a couple of his guns and ammunition, which I will keep for him (I am sure he can't have them where he is staying). And then let me know when would be the best time. Since he has twice daily (weekday) therapy, and other doings during the week, he thought weekends would be best. Still, I think we could at least take an afternoon drive and walk through parks but will leave that up to him. I suggested, with a wheelchair, he will finally be able to go my pace! I suggested he get a wheelchair with a windshield or get used to a road-rage hair-do. He just grinned.

They cut off up to the middle of his shin. His foot was dead, literally. There was nothing there. He still has pain, though not phantom pain so much. Learning to wear the prosthetic is something of a trick, more an endurance thing. I suggested he now knows what a horse goes through while it is being saddle trained, and I think he liked the analogy if not the fact. Still, I think he will be better for it. That foot was nothing but trouble and only a half a foot to start with. He will now have a whole foot, one that hopefully won't hurt to use.

He is looking quite thin. I hope the goodies help him regain some strength and weight. At 6', a man shouldn't weigh 130! I'll have to visit a few times a week, and bring real food and check on his snacks. I would like to make it so that I don't visit on days his other friends and family visit so as not to wear him out or leave him with more days without a visitor.

It was good to get out, myself. I didn't get everything on my list completed, but I have another shot at it tomorrow. Since I couldn't find my hatchet, and it isn't much of a hatchet in any case, I am going to look for a solid hatchet tomorrow. I might also pick up a felling axe, look over splitting wedges and a sludge hammer or better a maul. Picking up little things along the way is all I can do so it is what I do. If I can get what I consider a solid group for $150 to $200, I might just get it all. Two splitting wedges, actually, if I can. If I don't see anything local that looks good, I might just order this grouping, the splitting maul and a pair of wedges.

My appointment is early tomorrow, so I need to start figuring out how to get some sleep. I will need a bit of time to come down though. I have the windows open and fans going gangbuster to cool things off, which should help a ton. Anyway, have a great night.