Full House

Daddy, Uncle Bob, Uncle Vic [candid]

The above Photograph done by Christopher

Chris and Daddy

Aunt Nora trying to look innocent after stealing all of the crumbs from the crumb cake!

Daddy, Uncle Bob, Aunt Sandy, Uncle Vic, Mom, Jeremy, Chelsea, Donna (clockwise from Dad)

I left work Friday early because my lungs were starting to close again. I couldn't catch my breath. I went home, crawled in bed and slept until the noise coming from downstairs woke me up. I went downstairs and saw faces I haven't seen in years but haven't changed one bit. My father had a glow to him. He was with his two best friends in the entire world, Bob and Vic. These men are like his brothers. They've been best friends for over 40 years. Not only did Bob and Vic come down, Bob's significant other Sandy joined them as did Donna. I haven't seen Donna since I was a little girl but I knew that face immediately. The laughter coming from the table was overwhelming. In the other room our other guests had arrived. Uncle Dave, Chris and Ryan. I've seen Ryan three weeks straight! It's amazing! Chris and I ran to Target, then to Wal-Mart and were able to really talk about things going on in our life. As we've grown older and have more forms of communication we talk more than just at Thanksgiving which is really awesome. My father's side of the family is the only family we associate with. They're amazing people. We get back to the house, I decide to call it a night after taking some photos and crawl in bed. I wake up at 7:00 am not able to breath. I take a few puffs of my inhaler, go back to sleep, wake up a few hours later not able to form a whole sentence because there isn't enough oxygen in my lungs to do so. More puffs. Please work. I don't have time to be this sick. I go downstairs, my father listens to my chest. It doesn't sound good. He calls work for me because I'm physically unable to do so. It's time to make choices: back to the doctor or off to the ER. I'd rather just crawl back upstairs in bed. I take more puffs, try to shake it off. Nothing is helping. I can't breathe. We have a house full of people, my father has more on important things on his plate and he turns to me and says, "You are my number one priority. Whatever you need, wherever you need to go, we will make that happen. Dr. Tope or Rex?" "Rex. I need Rex." Mom, Aunt Sandy, and Donna all decide we're taking a trip to Rex. We drive up and they have an ER/Chest Pain Center all together! I have my very own center at Rex! Woho! I get there, I check in and I'm seen right away. Let me clarify these chest pains. It's not my heart. Its my lungs. I don't need and EKG. I get moved back to the waiting room. Cheated. Shouldn't I get an oxygen tank or something? I'm sorry but oxygen isn't making its way into my lungs I think I have priority here. They move me back into Triage Bed 6 and I'm referred to as the Respiratory patient. A nurse comes down with a bag full of tubes and asks me, "Have you used this before?" "Yeeeep." Awesome. Drugs. Steroids. Oxygen. I can't suck it down fast enough. I sound like a fiend. My hands start to shake. I hate that but I'm kind of used to it. I finish the little cup full of steroids and the nurse comes over and says, "So, besides jittery how're you doing?" I said, "Just.. -" and started coughing. She laughed and said, "That's attractive honey" I'm a fan of this nurse. She tells me to change into the gown, I'm going to get an exam and an X-ray. The doctor comes over, gets a phone call and leaves. I wait, keep shaking and coughing. This nurse has me cracking up though. I laugh and I cough. The doctor comes back and takes a listen. Not good. I get my abdomen and my legs checked. Chest X-ray time. I'm waiting for Carlos. This sounds good. The nice nurse (Karen) comes over and says, "Oh, you're still here?" "Nice seeing you too, Karen" A woman comes to get me. This isn't Carlos! She was nice enough. Saw my nape piercing and was very curious as to how I could let someone that wasn't a doctor put a needle through my spine. Trust. I "live on the edge". She showed me off to her friends. Told me I was as cute as a button. I have more holes than a button. Focus Lauren- blog about Dad- although I'm sure this will be entertaining to read! I get my results. No fluid in the lungs! I get more medicine. We leave and go home. I change into pajamas and crawl in bed. We had lasagna, salad and cheesecake for dinner. It definitely sucks not being able to be social for these special moments shared in the house. My father has ordered me on bed rest. Chris is the other family photographer. He's been taking photographs in my absence. I'm ready to be healthy!

This blog was posted by Lauren

The Back 9 Pub visit

Ryan, Dave, Bobby, Vic, Daddy

at the Back 9

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

28 Years of Marriage!

Gee, thanks Daddy.

This is the look my father gives me when I tell him some of my ideas. Actually, I said, "Daddy, please make a face for me!" and this is what I got. Although its not too far from what I get when I come up with these amazing ideas I seem to have.

-This blog was posted by Lauren

Umm hmm...

Daddy and Bandit. Typical position now that Bandit is about 40 pounds and can't always fit comfortably on the couch.

This was posted by Lauren

Goodness!

The doorbell rang at 11:00 pm.  Everyone that we were expecting was already at the house today.  We open the door anyway.  Bandit wouldn't hurt a fly but he's prepared to look intimidating.  In comes Robert and his brother Scott with cheesecake for Daddy.  I hear voices so I head downstairs and everyone is around the table hovering over this cheesecake.  Mom of course, cuts a huge piece for Dad which he says he won't be able to finish.  Dad cleaned that plate.  Completely full and completely blown away that they came to the house at 11 o'clock at night just to bring cheesecake and it was poker night none the less!  The doorbell rings again and Lance came over to hang out with Daddy.  He just got off of work.  I feel like we're going to start rationing off this cheesecake.  Everything Dad used to love to eat either has no taste anymore or makes him sick.  This cheesecake will probably be off limits to the rest of the household which is fine with us, if it has him enjoying eating we're happy.  As Robert is saying good bye the tears start flowing, Dad said, "My family will never forget this... and for that I can't thank you enough."

This blog was posted by Lauren

Oompa Loompa

When I said my house was going to be full of love I wasn't lying.  Frankie arrived this evening to spend some time with Daddy.  He's from New York.  Loves the Yankee's.  Has a wonderful sense of humor.  He worked for my father at Claudio's as a bartender.  I sadly have to stay clear of my father for the next few days until my lungs are in better condition.  He can't get bronchitis.  I'll be in my room.  The house has been cleaned several times over and is constantly being cleaned and sprayed with Lysol.  I can only imagine the laughter that those two men shared.  

Being posted by Lauren

Bruce Springsteen

Being posted by Lauren (Claude's daughter)

I fell asleep to the voice of Bruce Springsteen this afternoon. This morning I woke up not being able to breathe. I've been battling this for a few days now. We thought it was just because the dog has been in the house and I'm allergic to dogs. I knew it was time to go to the doctor. I can't get my father sick.

I haul my butt to the doctor's office and what is it? Of course, bronchitis. A nebulizer treatment, steroid shot, and a cortisone shot later, I have two sore butt cheeks and the shakes but my lungs are now able to get oxygen. All I want to do is eat and then sleep. Jessica has to be at the airport at 4:15. Do we go to the Back 9 and meet Mom, Dad, Aunt Nora and Aunt Donna? I don't have enough energy in my body for that. We hung out and at 4 we headed to the airport. We said our "see you soons" and I headed home. I was completely worn out.

Back to the point of this story. Bruce Springsteen. When Chelsea and I were younger we couldn't stand car rides with our father. It was a dreadful experience. This stuff Dad called music was a joke. All we wanted to hear was some G105 and whatever the Top 40 hits were. Dad would pick us up every afternoon and take us to Claudio's. And every afternoon we would ask if we could go to Revco for AllSport and candy. And every afternoon Dad would say no but would stop anyway. And despite our horrible taste in music Dad would always put on G105 and listen to whatever horrible "musician" was popular at the time. Man, we made Dad endure some horrible things.

... that was until the week of July 4 would come around. It was payback time for Dad! Two hours of whatever music Dad wanted to play. The worst music ever made. Bruce Springsteen. Rob Orbison. The Doobie Brothers. Dad, how could you make us sit through two hours of that torture? Every year we listen to the same horrible music, and every year we get lost in the same exact spot. Every single year.

Now, what happens after you do the same thing over and over and over? Sometimes you kind of get used to it. Sometimes you kind of even start to like it. There was absolutely no way Chelsea and I were ever going to get Daddy know we were starting to like this music of his. That only worked until it was announced that Bruce Springsteen was touring. Chelsea and I needed to go to that concert. We had to go and feel the energy and have the music bounce off of our chest, leave with our ears ringing, to see our Father smile ear to ear. We absolutely love Bruce Springsteen. He is now my comfort music. I can sing the words to almost every single song because of my father. I have my favorites, of course, but if I hear the voice it brings me comfort and so many memories. So today, after my treatment, and knowing what the future kind of holds... I needed a little Human Touch.

Arroz con pollo

Daddy, Tomas, Raphael

Jessica, Aunt Donna and I just came back from picking Aunt Nora up at the airport we picked up bagels and some snacks and Mom said don't eat yet there's a surprise coming.  I was starving.  I had been awake most of the night and was ready to eat but a surprise is a surprise.  I'll wait.  I had a seizure Monday night during my sleep so my head was killing me.  I crashed on the couch and waited for the surprise.  The front door kept opening and closing.  Mom's phone kept ringing.  All of a sudden I hear Dad say, "OH MY GOD!  OH MY GOD!"  Clearly the surprise was here or something bad was happening.  I was banking on the first.  

I get up off of the couch and Tomas and Raphael walk into the kitchen with a huge box.  Ohhh baby.  I know exactly what that box holds!  Dad has tears in his eyes, Tomas has tears in his eyes,  Mom is crying.  I personally am just about cried out.  Tomas opens the box and he made arroz con pollo, eggplant, and crab.  My father's eyes lit up.  Sometimes making that man eat is like pulling teeth.  He couldn't wait.  I was more than ready to dig it.  Mom says, "oh this is for dinner."  Really?  You're going to make us wait?!  I work!!!  Tomas, Raphael and Daddy sit around the table and talk about cooking for big parties, or on holidays like Valentine's Day and how amazing it really was that just the two of them could make so much food so perfectly for so many people.  Everything was made to order.  Nothing was pre-made.  Writing this is making my mouth water.  My father has undeniable talent in the kitchen.  I love my mother and her cooking, but if my father cooks it is an entirely different story.  Tomas was on a break from work so he had to get back, he left with tears in his eyes.  My father had a smile on his face.  Completely 100% happiness.  And hunger.  And then we had to eat damn Bruegger's bagels.  Not even real bagels.  

This blog was posted by Lauren

The first post!

This blog is being posted by Lauren, Claude's oldest daughter

Yesterday morning was rough, he slept in until about noon, woke up and actually ate a really big breakfast of muffins and cereal. He's going to kill me for saying silly things like this but he'll deal with it. I got a call from my cousin, Ryan, yesterday afternoon around 5 asking where a close hotel was. He and his girlfriend Kimma were driving back from Georgia and were going to stop back in to see Daddy but his mother (Donna, my fathers sister) is staying in Chelsea's bedroom and Jess (my best friend) and I are staying in my room so space is limited. We got them a close hotel and planned this as a surprise for Daddy.

Last night Mom, Dad, Jess and I went to the Back 9 for a quick bite to eat before Mom and Dad picked up [Aunt] Donna from the airport. It was an emotional visit to the Back 9 as I kind of expected it would be. There is so much love for my father in that place it's amazing. The house is going to be so busy within these next few hopefully months (!!!) Dad is elated to have his sister here. Granted he would to love to have her here under better circumstances he is beyond happy. We're all sitting around the table and the front door opens, no one moves and we say, "Hello?!" and in walks Ryan and Kimma. My father started to smile from ear to ear. So completely happy to see that boy again. Chris called last night. Donna's other son, Ryan's brother. He may be coming down with his father (Dave). He's making arrangement as we speak to come see my father. We sat around the table until around midnight laughing, telling stories and then it was time for bed.

This house is completely full of love and people and there is only more to come.

Welcome

Welcome!

The purpose of the blog is to share moments, memories, laughter, tears and the journey of Claude.  This blog will be maintained by his wife Sandra, and his two daughters Lauren and Chelsea.  

We hope you enjoy reading what we have to share.