Ok, you begged, you pleaded- so here's one more my-mom story. Not so much Lucy-esque, as it is very-Geri (my mom).

Moms was living on her own when a fall in her apartment landed her in the hospital with 3 stitches in her scalp. This being her first hospital stay as a senior, she was set upon by two (count em) two eager social workers. "Now, Mrs. J-- we're arranging services and items for your home- (Page after page flipped back over the top of a clip board) We're going to order you a toilet chair, a shower attachment, a walker, a geriatric specialist, physical therapy, occupational therapy, Access-a-ride, meals on wheels, (My mom winced- "do I really need all this?") "and a home care aide several times a week". My mother raised a jaundiced eyebrow "Home care aides, huh? Oh yeah?" she said. "How 'bout one of them trained monkeys. Can you get me one of those!?". Mom and I exchanged a smile. We'd read an article on capuccine (sp?) monkeys who were actually trained to help the disabled around the house with minor chores- turning light switches on and off, for example.

The reaction by the social workers was immediate, knee-jerk and surprising to us- "Oh no, Mrs J--! Not so loud!" "Trained monkeys! gasp!" "Don't say such things Mrs. J--!" "No no!" "Shhh! Shh!" Apparently they had not heard of cappucine monkeys. It took mom and I a few minutes to realize where the social workers were coming from. Taking it for granted that all white elderly women were the same, they assumed my mom was a racist.

An old liberal democrat from way back in the day, mom threw both of them out of her hospital room. (Which BTW, she shared with a woman of color in the next bed). She did get all the home care items they had ordered, including the aides. When she was discharged from the hospital, I left a copy of the article on the trained monkeys for the social workers. I don't know if they ever read it.

Of course, I have more stories!

Thanks all for your eyeballs, and support.

LMAO!!! Good one!!! *snort snort*!!! MORE MORE!!!