Daily Struggles of an 81-Year-Old and His Daughter — Part 3

Here We Go

Remember the ‘dead plant’ issue and then the confusion with the ‘cran-apple cocktail juice’? Well, it seems my dad found another problem within my household.

Little Pleasures Gone Wrong

My husband and I enjoy a good glass of red wine with our dinner at least 4 to 5 times a week. Dad also benefited from it. In fact, when we had sushi, instead of red wine, we had Sake which he loved! He loved it so much; he opted for Sake with his dinner instead of the red wine. But remember, dad is a grumpy old man who could not keep his opinions to himself. Let alone think before he speaks, which is why we end up in disagreements. Nothing I do is right before his eyes. I can do 99 great things and one wrong thing and the entire focus would be on what I did wrong. Frustrating, isn’t it? If it were not because he is 81 years old, I assure you I would have FedExed his ass back to Puerto Rico.

A Little Exercise Will Do You Good

I take dad with me to the supermarket so he can get his groceries and do a little walking since he complains about stiff joints.

“Of course, dad! First, you don’t drink enough water and second, your joints will stiffen if you sit all day in front of the television. You need to move around, take a walk, do something!” I once told him. Therefore, I take any chance I get to give him a little exercise — not that he appreciates it. But that’s okay because he is my dad.

Back to what I was getting. I took him to the supermarket with me. It is horrific trying to get him around the supermarket because he has no order.

He walks inside and says, “I need milk,” and there he goes all the way to the far-left corner of the supermarket to grab the milk with his slow steps. Once at the far end of the supermarket, he decides he needs bananas, which are right by the entrance.

Zig Zagging Our Way through the Supermarket

The first time I brought him to the supermarket I did not know what his pattern was, therefore, I said nothing. So there we go walking teeny steps to the produce section of the supermarket next to the entrance. “I forgot the ham,” he says. Back we go to the deli area right next to the dairy section.

“Hold on, dad. Let’s just go through every aisle,” I told him.

“What for? I know what I want. We can just get what I want and not walk the entire supermarket,” he replies.

“Dad, you realize we are walking more your way than if we just go through each aisle, don’t you?”

“Bah, that’s a waste of time going through each aisle if we are not getting anything from there.”

Therefore, I opted to let him do whatever he wanted to do while I gathered my stuff.

My Dad Says I’m an Alcoholic

When it came time for me to choose my wines, dad stands next to me and says, “You and your husband are alcoholics.”

“Like you don’t enjoy the wine with dinner? In many cultures, it is customary to have a glass of wine with dinner. That doesn’t make them alcoholics.” I responded.

“Oh sure, like where?” he replies.

“Like in Italy, for instance!” I answered.

“We are not in Italy,” he replied.

“Dad, I’m not discussing it with you. Let’s go,” I snapped.

I have to admit it bothered me. He clearly forgot he was drinking sake every night and had three bottles of sake in his cart. But I preferred to keep quiet and suck it up.

Fine! You Are Not Getting Wine Tonight!

That evening for dinner, I grabbed two wine glasses and set them at the table. “Where’s my wine glass?” Dad asked.

“I thought you said that drinking wine almost every night was of alcoholics. Why do you want to drink wine? Are you an alcoholic, too?” I sarcastically asked.

“Bah, just pour me some wine,” he replied. Then we sat down to dinner.

Fast-Forward A Few Weeks

My husband and I had a scheduled trip abroad. My dad stayed with my brother. One thing I found out was that he complained to my brother that my husband and I were alcoholics — yet he drank my brother’s whisky. I knew that was coming. Now it turns out my husband, my son and I are a bunch of alcoholics. My son because he drinks cran-apple juice cocktail, and my husband and I because we drink wine with dinner. Okay, dad, we will say nothing about your sake and whisky drinking habit, shhh.

What am I to do? He is 81-years-old, let him have his say so he can be happy, though I think he might be a little disappointed that his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson are a bunch of alcoholics!

Originally published at https://travelerwows.medium.com on November 30, 2021