Month of August, 2009
Mom wrote an update for the month of August, sorry for the delay in getting these written and posted.
August, 2009 Update
Where has August gone? Thank you for checking in on Bunk. There has been a great deal of activity in August and I apologize for getting all of Bunk’s goings on to you a such a late date.
Saturday, August 8th was Perry’s Pizza’s Annual Fundraiser for Bunk. This is the 4th annual event put on by Jess and Dawn Bingaman, Perry’s owners. Jess and Dawn give their entire proceeds from 12 Noon to 8 PM to Bunk. What a gift. Dawn’s mother, Peggy and sisters Tammy and Lynnette all worked with Dawn and Jess to serve up delicious pizza and drinks. Generosity is in their family genes. There isn’t an adequate word of gratitude to express our thank you. What a wonderfully successful fundraiser it continues to be, every year!
Derek and his family were in Oregon, so Billy Seitz handled the bar, Thank you, Billy. Erica, Eric and the grandkids were there. Erica lent a hand to the crew. The weather was beautiful. Bunk arrived around 1:30 PM. Parking was a challenge all day for everyone. Jess and Peggy worked with Red on parking the van. We are most grateful to all of you who stuck it out to find parking and to those of you who made the attempt without any luck in finding parking.
Bunk set up court in the outdoor patio behind Perry’s and visited with friends, family and visitors until 9 PM. We saw friends and family that we had not seen in many years. He of course loved seeing everyone and enjoyed the entire day.
The proceeds from the day have been critical to meeting the finishing costs for the Tipsy. We are most fortunate to have such loyal support from the Bingamans. Please frequent Perry’s Pizza whenever you are down near the Newport Pier in helping us thank them. We are deeply appreciative of everyone who shared in the day and supported Bunk.
August was D-Day or D-Month for moving into the Tipsy. The end of a two year project that so many generous people donated their time, expertise, labor, goods, and finances for the sake of Bunk having a place of his own. As we worked to get everything ready for Bunk’s
move, I could only think of how this could never have been accomplished by ourselves physically or financially. Truly, we are indebted to so many who have patiently supported the development of Bunk’s place.
I remember at the beginning when Bunk had just returned home from the hospital. We were so involved with his care and making it all work for him to be home and not in the hospital that construction went forward without much involvement from us. We had delays due to the elevator and reconstruction from its removal and acquiring and installing an external lift. And when the project was turned over to us for final completion things slowed down again. I cannot believe how many details go into finishing a building project and setting up a household from scratch.
We could never have done it alone. So many contributed to the project. I will attempt to develop a comprehensive list to post of all those many benefactors who contributed so generously to help Bunk have his own place. The benefit for Bunk has been tremendous in a multitude of ways. To finalize the building part of the project, Paul Van Kammen of Miller Construction and Dave Valentine saw us through to final inspection. Leon Arlt and his loyal crew of Tom Rausch and Larry Honikel returned to finalize the paint job they had started well over a year ago and Brian Trujillo worked with us on all the finishing details of tile, electrical, and carpentry.
The last leg was completed by Bunk’s sister Erica’s arrival with her family for 4 ½ weeks. She was committed to pulling together all the organizational details and furnishings required to move Bunk into the Tipsy and determined to have it done by the time she was scheduled to leave. It could never have been done as successfully and as beautifully without Erica doggedly keeping everyone on a timeline. Bunk had been spending much of each day in the Tipsy watching television and participating in the decision making and planning required. Brian Trujillo was here working on many finishing details along with Dad and Erica getting directions from everyone.
Every day was filled with obtaining a myriad of things necessary to set up a household, I.e., ordering a carpet and bookcases, buying household cleaning supplies, dishes, pots and pans, a vacuum cleaner, iron and ironing board, spices, etc for the kitchen. Erica would go out with her check list in her head and come back with a car load of things and then get me out to address another list of things. I would never have thought of all the details. She found a found a home for everything and put it all artfully all away.
Organizationally, she had ordered the shelves for the closets and bins that she labeled for storage of Bunk’s many supplies. She coerced Bunk and her Dad into building a cupboard for the bedroom that could hold small bins labeled for supplies required in his daily care. It worked out perfectly. The labeling certainly helps caregivers who change throughout the day.
Finally, she worked with Bunk on what artwork he wanted on the walls and had them mounted and framed and stayed up to 2 AM getting them up on the wall. She hung a painting she had done for Bunk over the sofa. She ordered the bamboo shades and made sure that her Dad got them up PDQ. Her husband had worked and reworked the sound and TV systems and was giving it a final once over. She also cooked us several wonderful dinners. As Bunk says, we only get home cooking when Erica is down or his brother comes over for a barbeque.
Alas, as doggedly as Erica worked to get Bunk moved in we were 99% ready by the date she and Eric were scheduled to return to San Francisco. She did leave her Dad with “To Do” list which he was required to check off each day. We still had to move down his bed and daily care items which were waiting upon Red who was working night and day to finish the bedside cupboard. Erica left on Tuesday, August 18th and on Sunday, August 23, 2009 Bunk moved into his new home.
Sunday was a day of a thousand trips from the house to the Tipsy. What seemed to being the finishing details required endless trips
down one set of stairs and up another. The bed could not be readily
Broken down so Red, his cousin Adam, and Marty Franco wheeled the bed from the house down the walk and up the lift. All was pretty much set although I was still taking odds and ends over at midnight.
Adam and his family and Marty and Priti stayed for dinner and we all ate in the Tipsy.
Bunk’s first night in the Tipsy went without incident. The ceiling lift worked well and we figured out how we would position the wheel chair to make it all go smoothly for Bunk. Bunk had no complaints and Israel, his LVN night nurse made things easy. It was a quiet night. Bunk’s comment to me was that I needed to write an update to let everyone know he was finally in his home. Thank you, God.
On the next day, Bunk wheeled around his new place. He can easily get around the kitchen and in and out of the bedroom and even can get into and through the bathroom. He gets up to the area rug in the living room but can’t get over it but does not have much cause to get in there yet. He loves going over to the refrigerator to have a look at what is inside as well as the pantry. There is a kitchen table that can be moved into the center of the kitchen or kept at the edge of the kitchen counter. He now goes over to the table to eat instead of us having to move the over-bed table over to where he is. Frequently, the front door is open along with windows and the breeze is wonderful. The open door allows him to cruise out onto the balcony and get some sun and check out what is going on in the back yard as well as enjoy the views. It is all so great for Bunk. His comment to me on the end of the first day in his home was “This is the first day I have not been in the main house at all!” He has not been back to the house as of yet. His place is too nice and too comfortable.
The first week following the move found the main house to be like a morgue. For almost 3 years it has been the hub of so much activity and now there is none. All the activity was over at Bunk’s place which is like a vacation condominium which, unlike the main house, has air conditioning, fans, great views, and a balcony off the front
door.
After the first week, we have established a comfortable routine of going back and forth to the Tipsy and gotten the main house back into some semblance of a home but tons of work to be done there. The Tipsy still needs some finish painting which we cannot put on the back burner.
As far as Bunk in his place goes, it is clearly his home now. He lets you know up front how he wants things and gives clear directions on where things should be specifically and in general such as closing doors and drawers, turning on and off what lights. He is in charge and we are his arms and legs to get things done and maintained the way he wants them.
During August, Bunk’s social calendar has been active. He has hosted his softball team at the Tipsy before games prior to moving in and after. On August 29th, he hosted the softball teams “Fantasy Football” selection night. Thirty men arrived, all bringing food and drink, their computers, charts, and whatever else is required in such
an event. It went on all evening and well into the night. I just left
Bunk alone out there except to check in once in a while. They called me if they needed anything. It was an evening of camaraderie, good food and of course football. Bunk was in his hey day and it all went flawlessly. The crew cooked and ate and cleaned everything up perfectly. What a great group. A few weeks back, after one of the ball games when they were at Marty’s Bar, they all toasted Bunk with shot glasses. A new experience for me.
The evening before, Bunk had made a road trip to El Segundo to a restaurant to join his brother, Derek, in his Fantasy Football selection. So I got a taste of how it would be. We were able to have dinner with Bev and the grandkids when it was all over. Bunk is now officially has two Fantasy Football teams. Isn’t 80% of the entire male population of the U.S. on a Fantasy Football team? Football season is Bunk’s favorite time especially college football. He will be glued to the tube on every game being played, especially Notre Dame games.
We are off on a new adventure. I know Bunk will be returning to his pre-injury practice of hosting barbeques and the like now that he has in own beautiful place from which to operate. There are many details I have left out but I wanted you to know about Bunk’s move specifically. Hopefully, we can return to a more regular update and not wait a month each time. I think I have said that before.
We are, as always, eternally grateful for all of your prayers and extraordinary support especially at this time in Bunk’s life. God bless you all. You are in our daily prayers.