Bruce is coming home?

I don't know for sure, just saw on the news his group will arrive at the airport so presume he will be with them.

6/9/06 Friday
I am pretty rough this morning. Running a 5 on the Bob scale. I met Jeff for our Friday morning breakfast. The first thing he said was about a house he drives by near his office. He said there was a boat that looked torn apart and a forklift in the driveway. No surprise there. Then we talked about Bruce coming home from Iraq and how I was trying to reconnect with my youngest son. I explained that I would not be able to go to the airport to greet him when they all get there. “Besides that” I said “Bruce’s mom will be there and there is definitely some bad blood between us, so maybe it’s best I can’t make it”. I am also sure I will not be invited to the barbeque after because it will probably be at the house I bought and my ex got. Well to be honest I’m not buying it anymore because she got it in the divorce, I just have seventeen years invested in it.

This morning I take Fred and Barb to his eye doctor where he will buy her some glasses. I called and tried to get him to go earlier but he wouldn’t. I hope it doesn’t take to long as I would like to run to the airport on the chance I will see Bruce. Who knows.

Blogger was working earlier so I was able to post the rest of yesterday this morning. Really tired, woke up worn out. I did go to look at a truck Bill Self told me was for sale. It might do if the price is right. The car lot doesn’t open till 12:00. It is on the way to the airport so I will stop by on the way back from trying to see Bruce.

Fred wants to leave at 11:00 and it is 9:51 now. I will fix some breakfast because I’m supposed to and it’s good for me. Then will rest till I take Fred and Barb around. By the way folks, the Muslim seems to have settled down now and there have been no more crackhead whores staying there. He doesn’t talk to me anymore. That works for me just fine. He isn’t driving his semi as much lately. Enough of this inconsequential prabble
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10:29 – This is a typical brain damage moment. As you can read in the last paragraph I said I will fix breakfast because I’m supposed to. I putzed around deciding what to fix and settled on just scrambling some eggs. Got the pan out, got the eggs out, got it all going and was halfway through cooking them when I remembered. I already ate breakfast, I just met Jeff at the Waffle House. Not unusual for me.

2:54 – Well I didn’t get to see Bruce but first here’s the day so far. Fred called shortly after I wrote the previous paragraph. We left at 10:45 and picked up Barb. She was waiting on the front steps for us as we pulled up. Barb was in a good mood, smiling and laughing in her ten year old way. I got us to the glasses place Fred had in mind. He had a coupon for “buy one get one free” at this business, one of the chains that do eyes. I knew right away this was going to be fun. Fred never reads the fine print and you could see there was a books worth on this half page newspaper ad.

We went in, Barb presented herself to the sales clerk dressed like a doctor, and Fred fretted. I began to look at glasses in the displays and separated from the crew, kinda on purpose. Then Barb was ushered into the back room where the examination would start. Fred wouldn’t sit down so, realizing this would take a while said “Fred, I’m going out for some fresh air” and went for the door. I made it.

I’m leaning on the car and enjoying the cool breeze when a guy pulls into the space next to me. “Did you lock your keys in?” he inquired. I explained “I’m just escaping” so he hurried in after a puzzled look. I went back in and Fred was just coming out. “You’ve got to help Barb fill out this paperwork” he said with his impatience showing.

I went in and took the clipboard from her. First I had to explain what the papers meant because, to use her words “There some big words in it. I don’t understand what it says”. I whipped through the questions quickly, already knowing some answers, and handed the clipboard to a happy receptionist or whatever you call her. At this time Cherie returned my call so I was happy to go back outside. I told her all about the truck I had looked at this morning. (I had to go back and read the entry to remember when I looked at the truck. Thought it might have been yesterday. Cherie said she trusted my judgment in this so “Do what you think’s best”.

Barb reminded Fred several times that I wanted to see if Bruce was coming home as he started planning other places to go. I appreciated that. When it came time for Barb to pick out the glasses her brain injury became apparent. She is much worse than I but still, sorting the hundreds of frames that are all around her is too much. The saleslady would ask lots of questions requiring decisions like “What color do you like? What kind of style?” and on. I watched Barb getting frustrated and confused so stepped in. “Barb, just point to the ones you like and then try them on”. This helped immensely, allowing her to focus and slow down the pace.

Barb needed bifocals and wanted the lenses that get dark in the sun so was anxious to make sure her frames were good for that. Fred had encouraged her about how good the transition lenses (No line bifocals) were, pointing to his own. Things got settled down to a couple pair so Barb asked me and then Fred what we thought trying first with one and the other. She made a decision so the saleslady led us to the Money Table. (OOOH, Now it comes out) She went through all the details pinning everything down and then hits the calculator. “That will be $405.76, plus tax” Bam! I thought this would do it but looking over at Fred I see that he did not hear a thing.

“What did you say?” Fred said but Barb cut in and started discussing with the saleslady how to reduce the price. It got to $298.00 when Fred finally heard where the price was. YEAH, Now We Start. She explains the cost of no line bifocals and transition lenses along with the $145.00 frames. Fred is frustrated and caught by surprise. I helped settle him in a bit and had the girl write everything out and run through it with him. Barb showed the coupon where it said two for the price of one $69.00. Next to it was another coupon for $89.00 that included bifocals. She tried to explain this was for different glasses (You know, the cheapest glasses on the cheapest frames with NO extra’s thrown in) but Fred didn’t get it. I explained it to him loud enough so he could actually hear and in simple terms he could usually comprehend. He finally flings his credit card at the girl saying “Here, I’ll just buy the damn thing”.

“Sir, you have to pay over there at the other counter” she said. I intervened, possibly saving her life. “Fred, it sounds like a good deal but the coupons no good. Barb’s not getting the no line lenses but regular bifocals to bring the price down. He settled some so I took him to the check out counter. “Done” I say and hear that the glasses will be ready today after 4:30. “I get to come back here just in time to miss Cherie when she comes home from work. Whoopee *%$#”.

Now I am hurrying. I want to get to the airport and I thought I had heard they would be in at 12:00 or something. I got everyone in the car and Barb had to remind Fred again that I wanted to meet my son when he wanted to go to lunch. I dropped Barb off and Fred wanted his seatbelt buckled (I have to do it for him). He knew I would be moving but I was real toned down because I didn’t want to have to CPR and mouth to mouth on him. No heart attacks here guys.

I got Fred home and left immediately for the airport. It was 12:30. Now I don’t have Fred with me so look out suckers, Bob’s coming through. Not really that bad but I made good time. I got Fred home and headed right out.

You don’t speed on Airport highway, at least not much. The Highway Patrol’s headquarters might have something to do with that. I haven’t been to the airport since I woke from the coma so it was all brand new to me. I got lost trying to find the short term lot but got in and parked. Running across the street to the terminal I look up and down, hoping to see a news truck set up to encourage me I hadn’t missed it. I go in and the first counter I see was labeled “Transportation”. I don’t care, there’s a human being so “Did the soldiers from Iraq get here yet?”. He looked stunned as he looked up from the magazine he was reading and said “What? Iraq? I don’t know”. Now I move, looking for some sign this had or was going to happen.

Nothing. Where are the bands? Where is the welcoming crowd? The news said “They would bring us the story when it happens” so where was the press? Shit.
I approached a lady who did some kind of screening for those moving into the higher security zone (You know, where you see people as they get off). “Did the soldiers from Iraq come in through here?” I asked. She said no and asked “Were they supposed to?”. Having fun yet??? I’m not. But, to her credit, she said “Maybe they’re going to come in at the National Guard base”. DOH!!! He’s Air National Guard, He flies with them. Damn, I can’t get on base without some kind of pass or something. So, No, I didn’t get to see Bruce. But he’s in town? I really don’t know. Maybe I’ll see him on the news tonight.