What's With These Beds?

The California Hotel has been going through some renovation for the past year or so. The east wing that we are in had a makeover that has us puzzled. The California really markets itself to people from Hawai'i, which according to the 2015 American Community Survey for the U.S. Census was 37.3% Asian. Although there is a lot of variability in "Asians" it is safe to say as a group "Asians" tend to be shorter, with younger "Asians" generally being a little taller than their elders. But the California markets itself more to the older, retired people of Hawai'i. Mom & Dad are a little older than the average California Hotel client but I think they are still a good representation of the height aspect of the clientele. Which brings me to the bed. Here is the bed that we encountered when we arrived last night. (The tape measure is a fixture in my suitcase due to all the repairs I do.)


Both Mom & Dad needed help (a boost) to get up in to the bed, the surface is 27" above the floor. When getting out we all have to be careful because in that groggy state of just waking up its not easy to remember that you are 6" or so higher off the ground than your regular bed. So last night I asked about either getting a stool or making the bed lower; I was told to call in the morning, but Dad was sleeping and did not want to join us for breakfast so that delayed the corrective action. When he left the room about lunch time I called Housekeeping, they sent Russell over almost immediately and he lowered the beds. I was very apologetic about it; but he said they get a lot of calls to lower the beds. He said when the renovation was being discussed Housekeeping kept telling Management that it was not a good idea because of the clientele; Management really should have listened to Housekeeping!


Since we got in so late last night we went to dinner about midnight. I had the Island Short Ribs. While we were waiting I made a sketch of the gash on Mom's thumb, complete with sutures. And an outline of how much the Mepilex Ag pad covers.


After dinner Mom, Dad, & Curt went to gamble. I stayed for a short while. Before we left home Dad had given me $200 for gambling, so I decided to spend at least $20 a night. The first thing I did was get a "member" card for the California Hotel casino. It has something to do with points you get for how much you spend gambling; not really sure but Curt says I should have one. (So did Vivian when I would take her to the casinos in Washington.) Since it was a new card I also got $5 bonus cash to play. I had to play a minimum of $5 of my own, while doing that I hit a full house! I hit a couple other things so I cashed out at $17.50, then I played the bonus $5. I played the rest of the $20 for the day, then went to bed. So right now I am up $2.50 right now.


Apparently this afternoon about 4 pm the computers in the California went down so the machines would not register any points and you had to cash out by hand rather than the machine doing it. Mom was upstairs with me, Curt decided not to play since part of why he plays is for the points. Dad, however, kept on playing. He said he didn't come all the way from Hawai'i just to sit around waiting. Other people went to the adjacent Main Street casino that is part of the same chain, but Dad has been having trouble walking so he likes to stay at the California. (On the news now they are saying that the Paris Hotel has also had problems with their computers. Their cause is construction in the basement cutting the power lines so that really means everything needing electricity isn't working. Including trying to get in your door! Luckily we are doing better. If our power went out we would still have lights since I brought one of the Solar Puffs! Power is now starting to come on at 10 pm in the Paris Hotel and the computers at the California have also come back online.)

Mom came upstairs last night about 2 am to go to bed. She decided to skip taking a shower and went straight to bed. She was really cold, so I hooked up the heating pad which she loved! But it made her hives worse. Then this morning she woke up with a sore throat, but so did I. I think it might have been the smoke in the air; it was smokier than it was the last visit. Fortunately I had brought 2 bags of salted lemons that Tomiko & I made this summer for Aunty Florence & Karen, so I gave her a lemon to eat; she said it helped.


In the meanwhile, Dad & Curt gambled until 4:30 am! This morning Dad slept in while Curt, Mom, & I went to a late breakfast. After that Dad got up and he went down to gamble with Mom & Curt. I spent the time finalizing the arrangements for the birthday party on Saturday night, called Kaiser and got the OK to give Mom benadryl for her hives, picked up the benadryl and omiyage, and had the beds lowered. When I got back it was after lunch but we were still full from our late breakfast. Mom decided she needed to take a nap so I took her upstairs while Curt stayed with Dad. While Mom slept I was organizing some of the supplies I brought for her and I found a red-knee tarantula in her sling!


I think what happened was that it fell in to her sling from Curt & Lori's Halloween party but she didn't notice. And she did not notice the next day when she put it on to go to mahjong. I am not sure when she would have found it!

When Mom woke up after her nap she was so confused. She thought it was morning rather than evening. It took a while to convince her that it was Thursday evening and time for dinner. So I have put up several signs, one says we arrived on Wednesday. The other says what day it is, I will be changing it at midnight every night. Hopefully that will help keep things straight for both Mom and Dad.

Happy Birthday to Sue & Adam!