He Went at Home

Started off the day with breakfast and the tail end of Supermarket Sweep, then Split Second. This time, the champ was clearly ahead the whole time and had no problems getting through the Coundown Round. The solo woman champ had an even easier time with an older pair, and then breezed through the Gold Rush round on Blockbusters.

Went online to check my finances and do a few other things. After that, I sorted through all those holiday bins. I was able to move most of the larger bins from the hall closet into the bathroom closet, and most of the Christmas bins from my room into the hall closet. Grabbed one of the empty bins to use for extra blankets and moved some of the smaller stuffed animals onto those empty shelves in the hall. The only bins left in my room hold my winter clothes or the dolls' clothing and accessories.

And that's pretty much it. All I have left to do here are photos and other items that need to be hung on the walls. Rose and Craig suggested a Velcro that can help hang photos and other items easily without nails. I hope I can find that. Jodie just painted these walls, and I don't want to mark them up, like I did the walls in the old house.

Had lunch around 12:30 while watching Match Game. George Kennedy and Lee Merriweather joined in as Betty White rolled up Gene's pants legs again and Richard admired a pretty Japanese-American college student.

Headed out to run errands after the episode ended. First stop was WaWa. I needed laundry money. Picked up a Summer Berry Freeze and a pretzel to make change. Dropped my debit card and took five embarrassing minutes searching for it. The cashier finally dug it out of the shelves in front of the register.

The laundromat was so busy when I arrived, I threw my laundry into the nearest washer and dashed off to Family Dollar. They weren't nearly as full. I just needed sugar, anyway. The girls up front were very sweet, helping me right away with cheerful voices and admiring my gold teddy bear pendant.

Though it wasn't nearly as busy when I got back, I still opted to sit outside for the rest of the time. it was a hot one today, too. Hot, breezy, and killer humid, probably in the mid-90's. There were a few clouds on the horizon, but the sky mostly remained blindingly blue at that point. Good thing I had a really small load that took less than an hour in the dryer and washer.

Went straight home after that. It was too hot to go anywhere else! Put everything away, then worked on crocheting that pillow case while watching Tattletales. It's amazing that anyone can fit into the studio with Max Julien, Dick Gautier, and their massively goofy egos. The winners today were the somewhat more modest Glenn Ford and his then-fiancee Cynthia.

Rose came in during Press Your Luck. I'd heard a flurry of noise in the den ever since I got home. She told me Dad wasn't breathing and hadn't woken up since 4 AM. She wasn't sure he was going to last hours, let alone the weeks Jodie originally claimed. I went through the door as Press Your Luck was winding down and a new winner avoided Whammies.

Dad looked wrong. He was shrunken and small in the huge hospital bed placed so he could watch the river out the window. He didn't look at all like my dad. It was...scary, and not right.

He didn't last hours. He died less than 20 minutes after I came in the door, to the sounds of the sobbing of his heartbroken wife and two eldest daughters. I put my arms around Rose, and she stroked my hair, and we let each other cry. At least he died at home, the way he wanted to, surrounded by people who loved him and a place he knew.

Rose called Craig and said she'd explain it to Khai later. Jodie called her Aunt Colleen, who lives in Mt. Ephram and came over right away. I texted Lauren (who was likely just getting out of work at quarter of 5) and called Mom, who offered her condolences.

Jessa arrived with Midnight shortly after I texted Lauren. She was especially upset. Dad was her only parent after her adopted mother died in 1997. I put my arms around her in the living room and held her as Midnight tore apart tissues, then showed her and Midnight how the apartment looks now.

I finally left at a little after 6. Joe was there for Jessa, and Aunt Colleen, Jodie's sons Jesse and TJ, and Jesse's wife Dana were there. I needed to eat dinner and be alone for a while. Well, not entirely alone. I had Match Game on while I added potatoes, green pepper, and onion to the leftover taco meat for southwestern turkey hash. Richard did his best Humphrey Bogart impression early-on while helping a Moroccan woman with the Head-to-Head. Later, there were lots of jokes about how a strange lady thought blank was Never-Never Land.

The woman champ on Sale of the Century just keeps right on winning. Once again, she bought an Instant Bargain and breezed through the main rounds. Everyone had trouble with the speed round, but she built up such a huge lead, it didn't matter. She still couldn't get the bonus round, though.

Rose asked me during dinner if I wanted to say good-bye to Dad before the hospice people took him away. I should have. Jessa did. I just...I couldn't. I couldn't think of that shrunken figure as my father. That's not the way I want to remember him. Jodie said they'll have him creamated and do a big "celebration of his life" next year, when things are a little better and we can have more people in the house.

Finished the night with Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights on Hulu. I go further into this 2004 prequel to the original at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Oh, and around 11:30, there were some massive storms. One peal of thunder produced such a loud blast, I just about jumped out of my seat!