MURDER & Bob Takes His First Steps At Home

Our Garage Blocked Off With Crime Scene Tape

This morning, The Pink House is surrounded with crime scene tape, the street in front is jammed with police cars and TV vans. News helicopters are circling the air.

But that's not the exciting news here.

This is the exciting news: On Monday, I had a railing installed in our hallway. On Wednesday, I had the railing taken down and put back up again, because Bob's big hands couldn't get around it, it was too close to the wall. So, on Thursday, Bob "geared up" for his first walk at home with a gait belt, sneakers and a knee brace. I wheeled him into the hallway and parked his chair at the end of the rail.

And he got up, holding onto the rail. And he took his first steps here at home. The first steps he's taken in our house since we left that morning in October for his surgery. Now, that was exciting!

He was shaky and wobbly and oh-so-slow. I held onto his belt but really only to have a handle on him in case he tipped. With my other hand, I pulled the wheelchair behind him, in case he lost his balance, I could lower him into the chair. It was a bit scary at first, but he didn't fall. He got to the end of the railing and sat back down in the chair, then wheeled backward to the start of the railing and started over again. We managed four times to do this and we were both quite thrilled and proud of ourselves. I only wish the railing was longer. The Pink House is a Craftsman Bungalow built in 1922--the key word here is "bungalow", so it's a small house without much wall space. The rail runs about 7 1/2 feet but with the wheelchair at the end, his walk is only about four feet long. But heck, it's better than nothing!

Oh, and about the murder. Seems like a known drug dealer was shot in the forehead and killed last night in our alley. This happened three doors down the block, at my friend's (Chris's) apartment building. The bullet flew toward our house and perhaps the perp fled in that direction, too. So Chris's building to the corner (our house) are all blocked off with crime scene tape this morning, as well as our garage. There is a television tripod in front of our front steps and TV van on the side of our house. I did not hear the gunshot, but was woken up at 3:30 a.m. by the police pounding on our front door. I guess I slept through the whole commotion--but I was tired (the night before Bob got me up three times with his bed wetting and another time with a bowel movement) and also I had the rooms on that side of the house closed off to keep Bob's room cooler and save on energy.  Immediately after the police left, I called Chris to make sure she was OK, and she was out on her front porch with her great-grandson watching the commotion. As Chris says, "Well, that's one way to clean up the neighborhood."

I'm just thankful she's okay and so are we. And Dad, if you are reading my blog this morning, Don't Worry! We are OK and I'll talk to you tonight!!! (My Dad is one of my blog's biggest fans!) Love you, Dad.