... for your amusement, at the expense of The Man Who Lives Here. But he was the one who told the story, so I do not feel badly about repeating it to entertain others. He has a hearing loss problem, and has been wearing aids in each ear, for some years. The aids were supplied, free of charge, by the Veterans' Administration. When The Man was fresh out of high school, he volunteered to join the Air Force, and was trained as a jet engine mechanic. Spent a number of years working on airplanes at a base in south Georgia, long before the idea of hearing damage would have occurred to anyone. All that time around the very loud, high-pitched whine of jets being tested and actively in use has caused him to have noticeable hearing loss as he ages.
When he began to realize he was having difficulty and discovered the VA would provide help, the nearest facility where he could be tested was in Tuskegee AL. He made an appointment and went for the evaluation, eventually fitted out with aids in each ear. Which have been very helpful as he ages and his acuity continues to decline.
You will remember that he periodically makes a trip to south MS, when he thinks the people at his favorite gaming facility have been lonesome without him. He continually gets invitations to come and visit, though I am sure they are much happier to see his money. They love for him to come and stay over a long weekend when there is a blackjack tournament going on, even staking him to a starting pot with which to gamble/guess on the cards. Expecting, I assume, that after he plays cards and gives all the money belonging to the casino back, he will then give them a pile of the cash he brought along from GA.
He was in Biloxi weekend before last, accepting another invitation to come for a visit with his pockets stuffed full of money for them to slowly siphon off, as he participated in a blackjack tournament. You might recall that old country music song, I think by Johnny Cash, about the man who worked in Detroit and stole car parts each day to smuggle out in his lunch box? Ending up with a vehicle that was assembled with parts manufactured over many years? When the cash is eased out of your pocket in minuscule portions, you are making small donations on a daily basis buying lottery tickets or putting change in the slot machines, you simply don't feel like you are being robbed. It does not feel like someone in a ski-mask with a gun stuck in your ribs, but it disappears in drips and dribbles. And just as gone as throwing it out the car window.
I got periodic reports by phone, as he made his way to the semi-finals of the competition. But, as you might expect, at some point, most are eliminated. He was not the big winner, but said when he got home he 'enjoyed' the trip. I assume he continued to play with the resources he had when he left home, and did come back with enough to be willing to share some of it with me.
He also reported that during the time he was there, playing cards, he lost one of his hearing aids. Did not notice it at the time, as they are so light-weight, it is hard to realize that the small device is not in your ear, enhancing your hearing ability. When he did realize that one was missing, he reported the loss, hoping it would be found nearby, as the cleaning crew would discover it and turn it in to the front desk. The reception desk did notify him, but when he went to retrieve the tiny device: it was not His! Hmmmm.....
He has already called to make an appointment for a replacement. And reports when he goes for evaluation/testing next week, he expects they will replace the aids for both ears, as technology has improved so dramatically since he was first issued aids years ago. I am hopeful that the new ones will make our lives easier. He will hear better and we will not get so annoyed and aggravated with each other when one cannot hear and the other gets weary of not being heard.
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