Pop (1928 - 2006)

I got a phone call from Mom today (Friday) a little after 2PM and she left a voicemail, something she doesn't normally do; you know call in the afternoon and leave a voicemail. So when I saw she left a voicemail I knew something was not right.

You see my grandfather had been living in a nursing home for about the past four years. If he fell in the house, Nana would not be able to pick him up, she called 911 a lot. So sometime in 2002 Nana moved him from their condo into a nursing home, one of many. He tended to be a little corse sometimes. Beating a blind quadrapolegic who he said was dealing drugs. Citizens arrest!

You see the day my Mom found out she was to have a son, yours truely, Pop had a massive stroke, that was just 27 years ago. He would pick us up at school or temple and take us to practice, always asking if we wanted a mint. But with a stroke he lost the use of his left side so he would be driving and dig through his shirt pocket while not holding onto the wheel and then offer a mint. Something you had to see to belive. He would always come to swim meets or basketball games. It was interesting coaching my younger brother and having him sitting there on the bottom level of the bench trying to interject things.

I guess I am writing this becuse Nana said only nice things could be said about Pop at his funeral, which meant Pop prior to 1979. So that ruled out my cousin and I speaking because we only knew post stroke Pop. My uncle Rob spoke briefly, yep, it got a little dusty inside the Temple at that time, I'm not going to lie. Well, there were two Pop's, the one prior to 1979 and the one after. We (my brother, myself and my cousins) would always here about how Pop used to be after he would go on a rampage for something or other.

One time he called Opra a fat dumb broad, we laughed, Nana said "Herb don't say that" we all laughed some more.

So I am now in the process of looking for a temple to attend on Friday nights out of respect for him. I have the yortzit candle lit until it runs its course.

I dont know if any of the stuff you read makes sense, but I just needed a venue for it and I happen to have one.

UPDATE: I made it across the state from my house to Mom's in under 3 hours. No cops, on the way back cruising at 85 with 3 other cars. I was stopped by Sarasota County Sheriff. The bitch has no heart or compassion. Oh and I was geographically profiled you see the other cars were not stopped and they were local. I was from out of town.

Hey, cop whore, FYI I'm going to have the last laugh.