The Great Escape...

Ever have one of those events when hanging with your family that just screams "Wow, my family's cool"? So my grandfather is in a rehab clinic, as he fell and broke his hip about 2 weeks ago (too many broken bones in our family recently...I just came off a massively broken ankle). Out of the hospital and living in the rehab clinic must be fairly boring, though better than the hospital I guess.

Anyway, we went to have Easter lunch with him today (2 families to hit, so the other is tomorrow). We had called ahead for reservations at the restaurant and had verbal ok's from his doctor. On arrival, we were told that since it wasn't in writing, he couldn't go out; too much risk or something. He is not there against his will, and technically can leave at any time, but can't go out to lunch with his family during Easter (I'm an athiest, but I play my cards to the most profitable play...hit 'em in the weak spot, which in rural GA in the Easter card this time of year).

My family then plotted the most brilliant and devious thing I have ever seen them involved in. We would break my grandfather out of the place. I thought it, but didn't say it. My mom and dad DID! H.F.S. Batman! We wheeled him out and said we were going for a walk. We got the cars, got him in, and took off.

We ate our lunch and told our tale to the waitress. During her sympathetic bout and praise for such a brave undertaking, in walked my grandfather's pyhysical therepist. She came over and said hey, and was thrilled that we got him out for lunch. What better therepy is there than food and family in the middle of a sentence far more brutal than the 5 hour purgatory at the Gold Strike? After knocking over his oxygen tank (I'm clumsy and it's my dad's fault) we were on our way back.

No sooner did we arrive and sit outside for a talk, did a nurse come out wondering where we had been. She had "been all over the building" looking for us (which probably meant looking out the window and in his room), and wans't able to find us. My dad said we had been there the whole time. The nurse went in to tell all that we had been found. The next thing we knew, the faciliy's Nurse Ratchet came out, saying the same thing about going all over the place looking for us. "Good, at least you got your excercise" my mother quipped at the slighty (ok, very) out of shape temporary health care professional (score mom...oooooo, burn).

We were berated about how it was against the rules to leave and how Medicare might not pay anymore, and that the facility could loose their licence. The whole time my family would say things to the effect of "no, we never left", "we were just on a walk", "cars, what cars?". A line about crossing the street to climb the water tower even got out under breath. Total brilliance, bluffed better than the Moneymaker/Farha hand at the final table of the 2003 WSOP. Nurse Ratchet left, and the family got the story straight...they had no proof we left, so there was nothing they could do (Madison GA, very little technology around). I guess writing this constitutes as proof, but hey, I play poker. I can lie at any time.

It's a proud moment when children can realize their parents are just older versions of themselves, and that they would do the same kind of rulebreaking stuff that kept us going through highschool. Props to the 'rents, and I will never feel bad about breaking the rules again. I learned it by watching you...