Thanks, guys. He's already acting silly. And if you knew him, you'd know it's a good sign.

The first thing he asked the nurse was if he could keep the hernia. Like a kid with tonsils. But he did it with a straight face, so the poor kid actually tried to explain to him that they don't actually remove it, they pretty much just put it back where it belongs. So the old coot starts in with the mock outrage. You mean they just stick the f'n thing back inside of me? Where's the doctor!?!?

Then he broke out laughing, so the nurse was off the hook. But you have to realize that he has a very warped sense of humor about getting old. He thinks it's funny to feign forgetfulness. I remember one time I drove him to the library to pick up one of his old cowboy dvds. He walks up to the librarian and asks her with a straight but confused face which aisle the canned goods were in. The poor girl. True story .