I actually have so many things I had to do I didn't have much time to do any packing (A second person would have helped).
So more background information for several of the in jokes that may crop up in the next few entries.
My family (when I was younger) had taken foster kids, My mother, her Sister, and My Mothers, Mother all had Foster kids or adopted kids. We Adopted 1, My Aunt adopted about 17, and My Grandmother 4. I have been around retarded/handicapped kids most of my life. Almost all of these kids were mentally or physically handicapped. One in particular was born with Down's Syndrome or as it was called when I was a kid "Mongoloid". Bill was taken in by my grandmother when I was about 5 or 6, he was 10 or 12. No one had ever taught him to talk, and no one was sure if he could. He communicated with several types of grunts, and had his own language. He did get taught some sign language, but with no one else to talk to has since forgot. He is around 55 now. It is unusual that some Down's Syndrome people live that long.
My Nephew is an incredible mimic and very good at impressions. I first found out about this when I was over at my mother's house and she was babysitting him (he was about 5 or 6). I am sitting in the living room and he is outside the front door playing. My mother and I are talking and I keep hearing the sounds of heavy machinery, and what sounded like a semi truck driving around, braking, and backing up with a backup alarm. Not sure what is going on outside, I check on it. It is my nephew playing with a toy semi tractor trailer. My mom says "he does that all the time". It was incredibly realistic. He can also do impressions of Roz from Monsters Inc., many other Characters and people including My Dad's laugh and his own Mom. He can imitate Bill, and he sounds EXACTLY like him. Over time, and especially while we were up in Seattle, he taught me to imitate Bill, I do not speak "fluent Bill" but there is only one "phrase" I cannot quite say. Bill's repertoire is not very big (about 5 to 10 "phrases" or grunts). Talking Bill to each other was one of the ways we kept sane, of course two adults talking like an old Down's Syndrome man is not quite sane I know.
My nephew arrives in town (thank you jebus!). Now I can finally get some stuff done and if needed I or he can go somewhere while the other one keeps packing stuff. Prior to this I had moved my dad's bed from it's strange diagonal position in the room to something more conducive to not killing myself in the middle of the night. You see the way it was setup I had maybe 5 or 6 inches at the foot of the bed to squeeze past the bed post and one of the many bookcases (7 total). I had suggested to him years ago to straighten it out and he said that it could not be done and would not fit, well it could and did! I also did one of many cleanings of his apartment (gross).
There are only 4 bookcases visible in this picture.
If you think he has a lot of trains HA! I scoff at your lack of understanding! He has friends that have rooms FULL of trains, including one that had trains on shelves floor to ceiling in several rooms AND his bathroom!
I had bought a roll up egg crate mattress for my nephew, and he would sleep for 2 weeks on it, in the only space available, in front of the door to the apartment.
First order of business is to go to the grocery store for food. One reason was to save money, and the other was because my nephew is a VERY picky eater.
Try to imagine 2 normal (appearing) people walking through a grocery store, but for the most part only talking (or arguing) with each other in strange grunts and noises.
So I have been there for 1 week and my nephew and I will be there for 2 more weeks, let the FUN begin!
Next Post:
"gathering and packing and driving" or "Gee what a surprise we can't get anyone he knows to help".
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