Why I Live at the P.O. po'ed.

Scene of the Crime











Post Office
















Criminal
Mug Shot.














My to do list is endless.

One of my biggest travel fears has come to pass. I knew it was going to happen. I predicted it. My father has now lost every form of his identity.

He sort of knows where he is.
Whenever we drive any where, even down the street to the market, he always asks me where we are going 4 or 5 times,like he has never asked before. Long trips are really hard. It must be so scary, to be driving along, then start looking around and wonder to yourself over and over again, "Where am I going?"

He is so confused. I am sad watching him slip further and further away. He is sitting across from me now with his post op foot up on pillows reading the Sunday paper. We had each other as we watched Mom fall deeper and deeper into madness. It is weird watching alone.

I do have my family of course, but they are not here daily. Lately, I have been farming him out. Everyone wants to see him before we go to India. He is so excited about India. He loves India.Whenever there is a lull in conversation, I bring up India. He wishes he was there now.

We have been taking him here and there.Last month Jo took him to Fisher Island, Florida where he visited my sister Moy, my Aunt Chris (my mother's twin) and my brother Christopher.They took my brother in law Brian's company jet so he didn't need any id. You can read all about this(and see photos) in my sister Jo's blog www.latikaroy.org/jo'sBlog His passport was safely tucked in MY important documents.

Two weeks ago, my husband, boys and I took my father up for an over night stay at my brother Owen's place in Waterville Valley, NH. My brother took him up on the Summer ski lift to enjoy the view(Exhibit A). That is when he thinks he lost his wallet with his state id. That was no immediate cause for alarm. We can replace that soon enough.

This next plot twist is keeping me up at night. My stomach is in knots. Last Sunday my father went to visit my sister Moy in Nantucket. I could not accompany him because the boys were in camp that week. She booked him a flight out of Providence. All he had to do was show some form of identification. I shook as I handed his passport(already containing his India Visa) to him. PLEASE DO NOT LOSE THIS. IT WILL BE THE END OF THE WORLD. "I won't" he said.

Robert(also known as Fabio and this is a long story : he is going back to Robert in the blog because he is only really "Fabio" in Hawaii and it is getting confusing)was given a special boarding pass so he could accompany my father to the gate. He made sure his passport was in his pocket when he boarded the plane.

I sent my sister an email entitled "IMPORTANT" I wrote , As soon as dad gets off the plane ask him for his passport. Keep it for him until he leaves. Hold on to it until you absolutely positively have to give it up to him. I repeated my "End of the world" line, because I thought it was so clever.

Moy took me very seriously. We are all baffled. She was able to follow him to the last security check point and watch him as he sat. She had JUST tucked his passport in his pants pocket. Somewhere between the Nantucket Airport and T.F. Green in Providence (an hour out of our sights) he lost his passport. We are supposed to leave in 3 weeks.

Yesterday, I went to the post office with my father. I planned to fast track it. I was told at the latest by August 25. That would give me FIVE days to get the Visa taken care of. Mercy. I am starting to panic a little. Kim, the postal lady (she is taking the picture of my father) was very nice. She told me my best bet would be to call the State Department in Boston. She said "you are going to get sent all over the place. Keep following the instructings and keep at it until you get a person" Then I have to state my case, beg for an appointment, and schlep my entire family to Boston.

To make matters more complicated, my father had outpatient surgery on his toe on Friday and is being transported in a wheel chair.

But I laugh. My father's response to all of this is, "Boy, The Federal Government sure is cracking down"