28th April 2007 - They've got me playing a Rock Star

I visited on my own today. When I found Dad - he'd been wandering after his afternoon tea. He always "gets up and goes" after a meal or a cup of tea - which I suppose is natural - after you've stopped what you were doing in your day to have a meal or a break you would get up again to start back doing whatever it is you do. Dad still gets up to start back with his day, but there's nothing to do, he wanders off until he forgets where he is or where he's going.

Anyway I found him and brought him back to the day room to sit down. I ask him if he's had his afternoon tea and although he says no I see Karen assuring me with a head movement that he has. There's a few other visitors in - it's a Saturday - so we all nod to each other and smile. It's very noisy in the day room - Bertha mainly, shouting over and over at everyone that passes her. I asked Dad how he was and he launches into a story "Not too good. They've got me playing a rock star in this film." "You're playing a rock star?" I echo as it seems pretty unlikely casting "No don't be daft, I'm the man organising the prison break, why would I be a rock star? Anyway there's this underground driver and his father of the bride - no hang on what do you call the father of the bride?" He was looking at me wanting an answer, I was wondering if I'd drifted off and missed a bit of the question because I've no idea what I'm being asked but reply "The father of the bride" and he nods gratefully that I've cleared up that little grey area of confusion "Yes, that's it the father of the bride, all very smart must have been quite a do, very hoity toity". At that point one of the housekeeping staff passed and my Dad watches him pass "See that what I mean. That big negro could have brought me a tea, we're sat at a chairable, it's obvious what we want. He never brings the tea, must think it's beneath him." "It's not his job Dad, he's a housekeeper not a carer" I tried to tell him. "Shush, he'll hear you, you can't call him a housekeeper anymore, they don't like it". I made him a mug of tea as I fight off the mage of Jonesy in Dad's Army "They don't like it up 'em those Fuzzy Wuzzy's".

The creation of the 'chairable' word is something I've noticed creeping in lately. His words are sometimes coming out chopped up, joined together or with sound or even spell alike substitions. A chairable is chair and table run together. It's almost as if he's reading what he's about to say - maybe he is in a scripted film, although obviously not cast as a rock star that would be daft.