Basketball

So after the delay in posts... there are two back to back!  I wanted to share this story as I am still amazed.  I stopped in to see dad after his dinner tonight.  At 6 o'clock, the residents had made themselves scarce!  I can upon dad trying to escape from his chair.  Haha... some things never change.  I came up to him and asked if he was trying to make a run for it.  The look on his face told me I was right!

We sat and "chatted" for a while.  He asked if I had anything in my purse... haha.  I remembered there were some chocolates in his room, so went back to grab them.  I dumped them into my lap and if he didn't try to take a handful.  Ah... that's where my sweet tooth comes from!

About this time I spotted the new portable basketball hoop in the amenity room.  I thought it might be a fun diversion.  I found a balloon and took it over to dad to try out.  The balloon was a bit wimpy, so I went looking for something a bit more weighty.  I spotted a ball decorated like a basketball that must have gone with the hoop. I gave it to dad, and he went to throw the ball in the basket.  It bounced off the rim, and back at his face!  At which point he caught it and threw it back again.  It bounced off the rim and back at him; he caught it again.  I bent in half in laughter, I couldn't believe what I was seeing!  What's more, if he missed grabbing the ball, he gave it a boot with his foot!

I went to take the basket away, and sent him a bounce pass.  He caught it and bounced passed it back.  So we did this for quite a while before he decided he'd had enough and held on to the ball!

This is unreal for a couple of reasons... one... dad was never into sports and I hardly recall any of us tossing a ball with him on any given occasion.  The other is that his brain has stopped talking to his feet... his balance is off and he hasn't walked in 18 months.  I had no idea that his hand/eye coordination was so good.  Though I have read stories where people with Parkinson's have been able to get on a bike and ride it with no problems.  (Then they get off and can hardly walk.)  The brain is a complex, complicated thing.  I think if I was younger (and had the intelligence!), I would study neuroscience as I find it fascinating.

He's a little brat though... after we tossed the ball back and forth for a while, he started attempting fake throws, or as hard as he could.  I think he enjoyed himself!