just an update

 Rico woke up yesterday and ask me if he'd died.

His eyes are often closed because processing visual information for too long wears him out. So I do spend a fair amount of time explaining things he can't see. Yet somehow I thought this one might be obvious even to him.

"No," I told him, "you are still alive and doing really well. Why would you think you died?"

"Well," he says, "I hear a lot of things when I'm laying in my room and sometimes I am not sure what is a dream and what is real. I heard you paying the bills and I knew that the only way you would be doing that was is if I died."

I'm not sure if this was a legitimate question of just his way of continuing to roast my lack of financial skills - I'm betting the latter - though he does say I'm doing pretty well - which is comforting.

As for Rico's health - he's holding. He is more tired which makes him confused more often, but when he's awake he's the Rico we love and doing great. He still loves visitors and snacks and music and just hanging out. We still take our trips in the morning before his coffee - today we went to New York for a Lemon Ice King of Corona and to see a Billy Joel Concert (something we'd hoped to do next summer - so what if we're a year early).

My brother headed back to Florida and to the best of my knowledge did not manage to insult anyone else - please let me know if I am mistaken, or if we just need to move to a new state. 

People continue to amaze us. Our hospice nurse Jan is just the best, Tom still comes for coffee. Rico's friend Michael travels from the city bringing Biscoff filled Cinnamon muffins and a great ear for listening. We've had friends stop for hugs, for meals, just to say "hey" and all of it brings us joy. Our favorite is when our kids friends reach out to hang out - they always seem to make life the best it can be.

One of our friends sent Rico and Neeks an entire box of every single flavor Combos snacks (he travels with them constantly and shared them with our friend on our last trip to Arizona). After a mid-morning taste test - they have unanimously decided that cheese pizza is the best flavor - followed closely by cheddar bacon. Rico says honey mustard is third, but Nika says it tastes like barf in a cracker - so you best judge for yourself.

Combos taste test