May 23 - July 15
May 23, 2009
Up early with a capital “E”, had a taxi coming to take Juri to the Ramada, I drove over to the hospital to get RD and we had a Limo pick us up at the villa at 7:30 for our trip to the airport. We flew to the States on the new direct flight to Houston…15 hours and 10 minutes, 5 movies and two meals later we had arrived. Unfortunately it was too late to make a connecting flight to Montana so we had to spend the night at a hotel next to the airport and then had to catch a plane out at 6:30 in the morning. Oh joy, another early morning.
May 24, 2009
OMG…a 4:00 wake-up call on top of jet lag…my worst nightmare. We finally arrived in Helena just after noon and Clancy, Justin and Dawn picked us up (1/2 hour late…we thought they had forgotten us). It was so good to see the kids again, smell the fresh air and see how green everything is.
After a brief stop at Justin and Dawn’s place to see RD’s new toys (read: guns and ammo) we went out to Bob and Barb’s and settled into their spare bedroom. After relaxing for a few hours we met the kids for dinner and had a wonderful evening.
During dinner conversation I confirmed the fact that I am a city girl and not from Montana when Dawn said to Clancy, “I hear you’ve been fencing”, I immediately thought of swords and such and made a fool of myself by saying it out loud. Of course everyone busted out laughing and said “no…repairing fences”… I definitely wasn’t raised on a ranch.
May 26, 2009
This morning we drove to Missoula for meetings, prescription pick-ups, appointments, and lunch with Candy…RD’s previous nurse. It is so nice to walk into restaurants and pharmacies and have people genuinely glad to see you. Most of my afternoon was taken up with a “Photofacial” to remove some of the sun damage I did while spending 4 months in Indonesia last year. I had thought I would be the type to age gracefully and just take whatever nature hands me but now that I’ve hit 50 I find I am much more open to a more aggressive “fluff and buff”.
After all our errands were done we went to our friends Bev and Clancy Cone’s for dinner and to spend the night. They have a new little black Schnauzer puppy named Max, he is just adorable, six weeks old and still has “puppy breath”.
Unfortunately he had a rough 12 hours while we were there…
Before dinner we were all standing in the kitchen drinking wine and talking. Bev was holding Max along with her glass of red wine but when Max heard Clancy’s voice (her Clancy not our Clancy) he wriggled around so he could see him. Bev felt him slipping out of her arms and threw both hands up to try and catch him...the glass of wine ended up in my face and the puppy ended up on the floor. He was shaking but fine…my hair was pink, as was my white shirt, along with Bev’s white skirt. RD even got a few drops splashed on him!
May 27, 2009
This morning Clancy took Max out in the back yard to “do his business”…he got too curious and fell in the pond, black pond liner and black puppy…not a good mix... He was wrapped up in a towel and shaking like a leaf when we left.
After a few more meetings and lunch with Clancy (our Clancy), we made the 3 hour drive to Spokane, WA to have dinner and spend the night with our friends Dean and Diane Sorenson. Of course we had to stop at Cabela’s in Post Falls, ID on the way…RD calls it Victoria’s Secret for men…I finally had to pull him kicking and screaming (well, ok, he was only whining) out to the car.
They took us to a new “hip” restaurant near them. Food was great but we apparently weren’t “hip” enough because the waitress acted like we weren’t there but it was still nice spending time with them.
They have a “new” Corvette, the 2003 50th anniversary edition in candy apple red, her name is “Zora 50”. It has got to be the most gorgeous corvette I have ever seen. I told Dean it looks like “sex on wheels”, it’s so gorgeous it actually gave me goose bumps.
May 28, 2009
As usual I was the last one up. Diane cooked us a wonderful breakfast and we said our good-byes as we took off for Leavenworth, WA to visit my parents for a few days.
Mom and Dad’s little house and yard look wonderful as usual, the dog was excited to see us (as usual), and of course we had to check out Dad’s new little 1965 Mustang as soon as we got there, cute, cute, cute… I told him he needed to get personalized license plates…“LISA'S"
May 29, 2009
After eating about a pound of bacon for breakfast RD went for a walk up some steep mountain trail while I relaxed and spent time with Mom and Dad. He ended up getting a quadriceps spasm that flared with eccentric loading (which happens when you go downhill)…it took him a really long time to get off the mountain (obviously he’s been a flat-lander too long…) Of course that meant he HAD to get a massage so our winery trip got postponed until tomorrow.
In the afternoon RD, Mom and I all had our laptops out on the back porch using their new wireless connection (took a while to find the security code because they had never had to use it before) and it turns out Mom is doing great on her computer. She’s still scared of it, but it is obvious that she can find her way around without sobbing…
May 30, 2009
In the morning we went to breakfast at the Big Y Cafe (which to our family will forever and always be “the biggy cafe” because that’s how I said it when I was first learning to read and sounding out every sign I saw). Then at noon we went to the Icicle River Winery for a wine tasting. Of course we had all piled into Dad’s new little mustang because the owner of the winery is an old car buff and Dad wanted to show off his new toy (obviously safety was not as big of an issue in 1965 because there are no seat belts in the back…or maybe there were just fewer lawyers). Most of their wines tasted a little “young” to me but several were quite good. They make an amazing dessert wine that tasted like chocolate covered cherries and a Syrah made in the “methode champenoise” that was wonderful.
Took Mom out to dinner for her birthday (two days early but we have to leave tomorrow…RD’s meeting starts on the 1st). We went out to the buffet at “Sleeping Lady” (the old CYO camp field out the Icicle River where Lori and I used to go when we were kids, that has been turned into a high-end retreat/conference center). I was very impressed by their ability to serve high-end food in a buffet style.
May 31, 2009
Up and on our way early this morning, the drive to Vancouver was beautiful. That stretch north of Bellingham and south of the border is just so green and lush. No problems at the border, I was driving because RD had forgotten his driver’s license in Montana but with our GPS I made it into town and to our hotel. If you make a wrong turn it just recalculates and gives new directions…so much easier than trying to read a map.
Our hotel is right on a boardwalk/marina with boats galore, seaplanes and fab little restaurants right on the water. It is loaded with people walking, jogging, roller-blading, and bike riding, it definitely puts you in the mood to lead a more active lifestyle. We are a stone’s throw from Stanley Park which they claim is the 3rd largest “urban” park in North America…I doubt that’s true but it’s nice none the less.
June 1, 2009
Today is the first day of RD’s Sports Medicine conference so he was up and out early this morning. I myself was up and out the door by 9:00 AM which as most of you know is a feat in and of itself. I decided to explore downtown and save Stanley Park for when RD’s parents arrive so I ended up walking about 6-7 miles on concrete…my feet are killing me.
We had dinner at a restaurant on the dock called “Lift”…sushi for an appetizer and I had a veal tenderloin that was at least 3” thick.
June 2, 2009
I didn’t get going until almost 10 this morning but I still ended up walking about 10-12 miles. I was looking for a sun dress and tried on several along the way but everything was either too dressy or too “beachy”…so hard to find something in between. At 3 o’clock I finally stopped for lunch, a Caesar’s Salad and a G&T. I just sat at the bar since I was alone and it was in between lunch and dinner time. One of the waiter’s overheard me ask the bartender how to get to Granville Island and he came flying over and said “girlfriend, did I just hear you ask directions from a straight guy? What were you thinking?” I busted out laughing and told him I must still be dehydrated and needed another G&T.
Dinner was at “The Crime Lab” they had drinks with names like “scene of the crime”, “smoking gun” and “body bag”…I was not interested in trying that last one no matter what they said was in it! We both had a “prime rib” hamburger with a chipotle mayonnaise that was amazing.
June 3, 2009
RD’s parents arrived this afternoon, later than we expected…they spent almost 2 hours standing in line to go through customs. Bob estimated there were several thousand people in line and only two customs agents, they were not pleased. We went for a quick snack at “The Crime Lab” since they were starving after standing in line for so long then they went back to their room for a quick nap before dinner. We drank the bottle of Syrah “champagne” before dinner, then took them to “Lift” for their 58th anniversary! The weather here has been amazing so we sat outside on the upper deck, overlooking the marina and watched the sun go down.
June 4, 2009
This morning I grabbed Bob and Barb and took them to this cute little bakery on the pier for ham and cheese croissants. We then got the car out of the parking garage, turned on the GPS and headed for Granville Island. It’s kind-of like Pike’s Place Market in Seattle with a stronger artist influence, there’s even an art college on the island along with all the various shops. I found “curry leaves” and aji Amarillo paste (from Peru)…I need them for recipes I’ve been wanting to try (my favorite pastime in Doha is perusing the internet for interesting recipes and then trying to find the ingredients).
We then took a drive around Stanley Park (a thousand acre park established in 1886...someone had some amazing foresight). It’s surrounded by water on three sides and covered with cedars that are hundreds of years old. What an amazing area to have available to the people who live in and visit Vancouver.
We decided to have dinner and watch the sunset at “Teahouse Grill” in Stanley Park, we were not disappointed. We plan to go bike riding through the park in the AM.
June 5, 2009
No bike riding. I woke up this morning with my left hand and right forearm numb and my right wrist extensors not working. My grip strength was gone. I’m guessing it’s due to all the spinal impact from walking so much on concrete. Had myself a little pity party, and spent most of the day just relaxing in our room (my right foot/ankle is also acting up from all the walking so I’m limping…hence, the pity party). RD had a break for lunch so after not being able to track down his parents we walked (a short distance) to a sushi bar. We ended up ordering three of their “signature rolls”. It was good but whatever happened to the “basics”? Does mango really belong on a sushi roll? When we got the bill we realized we had ended up paying $36.95 for a tiny bottle of Sake (I thought she said $6.95 or I never would have ordered it!)
For dinner we found a little French restaurant within walking distance (for me right now that means about a block and a half). It had the most intimidating wine menu I think I have ever encountered; there was a “table of contents”, it’s the only time I’ve seen a bottle listed for $8500 (a 1924 Rothschild’s) and the reds didn’t even start until page 14! Luckily they did a wine tasting menu with a suggested wine for each course…so nice to have someone who knows what they are doing pick the perfect glass of wine to go with each course. I had Steak Tartar…possibly the best I’ve ever had, Spot Prawns (a local prawn only in season for 5 weeks) in wine, garlic and lemongrass and an Orange Crème Brule. Yummy!
June 6, 2009
We checked out of the hotel and headed south for the border at about 11:00. After sitting in line for a half hour we finally get up to the guy in the little booth and hand him our passports. After the usual questions…How long have you been in Canada? Why were you there? Are you bringing back any fruits or vegetables?...He say’s “which of you is Lisa DeGroot?”. At first I’m thinking he’s kidding, then I’m thinking HEY, I’m sitting in a car with two men and my mother-in-law (no offense Barb)...so I raise my hand and wave at him. He says, “this picture doesn’t look like you, you’re hair is shorter and you’re wearing glasses”. I said “that passport is 8 years old, time marches on…” He nods and we are free to leave. I am definitely crossing him off my Christmas card list! They need “sensitivity classes” for dealing with 50 year old women who have passports from their early 40’s…we would really like to maintain our little delusion that we “haven’t changed a bit”.
For lunch we used the GPS to find “Bob’s Burger and Brew” which ended up being at a golf course on a pretty little lake. From there we hit Highway 20, “The North Cascades Highway”, and drove up and over the pass. It was really quite beautiful. Near the top Barb and I had RD pull over because we wanted to see what that cute little blue flower was that was growing in big patches along the side of the road. As soon as RD stopped I opened my door and the wind caught it and it nearly hit the front quarter panel! Definitely sprung the hinges…I pulled the door shut and decided that little blue flower wasn’t worth getting blown off the mountain for.
Driving off the east side of the pass into the Methow Valley we had a Cinnamon Black Bear run across the road in front of us. Bob had just said “this looks like bear country” and boom, there he was.
In Winthrop (cute little town done up all western), we stopped for ice cream. RD of course had two scoops to our one and then saw they had shaved ice so had to have one of those as well. We then drove on to Omak to spend the night. We were all in the mood for pizza so drove to “Hometown Pizza” and pigged out on pizza and beer.
June 7, 2009
We had gotten a “family suite” at the hotel because that was all they had left…two bedrooms but only one bath so I was expecting a bottleneck in the morning but it worked out perfectly. RD was up first, then Bob, I was done with my shower and putting on make-up by the time Barb got rollin’…it was like we had synchronized our watches the night before! We made it to Wallace, ID before stopping at a Bar-B-Q for pulled pork sandwiches then drove the rest of the way home. When we hit Helena we got a call from Chris (RD’s youngest brother) wondering when we were going to be back. Barb had accidentally forwarded all their home phone calls to his house instead of her cell phone, he said he had talked to a bunch of people he hadn’t talked to in years but I think he was tired of taking messages.
When we got to the house we got a call from Clancy. He had just hit a tree with the Kubota tractor and knocked out the front windshield with his head…good thing the Mark’s are so hard headed!
June 8, 2009
Woke up to a full on snow storm this morning! RD was already gone, helping Chris move cows, so I had a leisurely pancake breakfast with Barb watching the snow fall and the bright yellow Western Tanagers eating suet from their bird feeder.
RD showed up with Bob a few hours later, he had picked him up on the road after Bob had gotten the front end of his pick-up stuck on a stump. He had been in a hurry because he had received a call that Chris’s cows had gotten out and were up on the highway, so didn’t see the stump as he came over the crest of a hill. He grabbed some chain and we first went and pulled the truck off the stump. We then headed for the highway to look for cows. By the time we got there Cody (RD’s nephew) was there on his motorcycle herding them back into the pasture where they belonged…somebody didn’t know they had been moved in there this AM and left the gate open when they went through.
We then went to check on my car (at Steve’s) which of course had a dead battery…back to Bob and Barb’s for a battery charger which we will leave on the car for several hours. Bob already took care of the registration before we got here and called in to get our insurance coverage up to “snuff” for driving around vs. just sitting in a garage.
June 9, 2009
Barb invited me to go to lunch with her and the “girls” (she noticed I was getting a little stir-crazy here at the house). They used to golf every Tuesday and one winter they realized that just because they couldn’t golf it didn’t mean they couldn’t get together so have been having Tuesday lunches ever since. I ended up being the entertainment because they all had questions about what it was like to live in the Middle East.
After that we ran around town running a few errands (and popping into a cute little boutique…she calls it the “blonde” store because she thinks the colors they carry only work on blondes). I bought a top and a necklace…Barb found both of them…she’s great to shop with.
The kids came up and met us at the Clancy Bar for burgers…biggest burger I think I’ve ever seen, unfortunately I ate the whole thing…I may never eat again.
June 10, 2009
We packed the trunk of the Audi like a sardine can, put the top down and drove to Red Lodge for RD’s Family Practice meeting. What a beautiful drive through the Rosebud Valley.
June 11, 2009
RD spent the morning working on his first talk because some of his audio and video files had disappeared, by noon he had them all re-installed and ready to go. I popped down to the restaurant and got sandwiches to eat in the room as he was finishing up and then at 1:00 he went to listen to the talks that were being done before his. I drove into town and walked through some of the little shops. Found a belt I loved but just couldn’t justify spending $130 on a western style belt that I won’t wear in Qatar because it’s too hot for denim.
At 4:30 he gave his talk on the “Ageing Athlete”…he had more than a few anecdotes based on personal experience...unfortunately there were technical difficulties because he prepared his talk on a 2007 version of PowerPoint which allows audio and video files and their version was only 2003 and didn’t support anything beyond the basic .jpg.
For dinner we drove into town and had pizza…one of the things we miss the most in Qatar…what’s a pizza without sausage or pepperoni?
June 12, 2009
RD gave a talk on cholesterol drugs at 7:30 this morning, more technical difficulties, it’s a good thing he knows his “stuff”. I spent the time getting ready and packing our suitcases.
Our drive back to Clancy (the first ½ hour of which took us 1 ½ hours because RD was stopping every 100 yards to take a picture) was beautiful.
We switched vehicles in Clancy (no room for a car seat for Bridger in the Audi so had to take the big old truck) and took off for Missoula. Before we left RD sniffed out the cinnamon rolls his Mom was baking for a church raffle and gave her $20 for them…I think he ate two before we hit Missoula.
Britta dropped off Bridger (hard to believe he’s almost 2!) at our hotel and we had him for about 3 hours. It only took him about 5 minutes to get over the fact that Mom had left and to get comfortable with us. He and RD went swimming and then we went out for the iconic food of childhood “chicken nuggets and fries with chocolate milk”. Hard to be healthy when you’re homeless…
June 13, 2009
This morning we got Bridger at about 8:30 and after a quick breakfast of cinnamon rolls we took off down the Bitterroot to go to “Mule Days”. As soon as we got to Hamilton we went to Quality supply to look for a pair of pants that Justin needed. As we got out of the truck we saw this guy with a litter of puppies in the back…Australian Shepards. We stood and talked to the guy and petted the puppies for about 20 minutes and before I knew it RD was handing the guy money and saying we would pick the puppy up next weekend! He bought one for his Dad for Father’s Day! His Mom is going to kill him!
Once we got the pants we finally made it to the fairgrounds for Mule Days. We usually look around at the tack displays for a while, check out the mules that are for sale and watch an event or two…not this time. Mule Days are a whole different game with a 2 year old in tow! I don’t think I have been so exhausted in my whole life…and we didn’t make it to see the mules…all we did was look at tack!
In the afternoon we went to a Bar-B-Q at Fred and Deb’s. It was so nice to spend the afternoon with friends. We put Bridger on old “Buck” and held on to him as we led Buck around the corral…his first horseback ride!
At 8:30 we dropped him off with Kathi (RD’s ex)…it was really hard to drive away…but I sure slept well!
June 14-16, 2009
We drove back to Clancy this morning and stopped at Justin and Dawn’s for an hour or two before going out to Bob and Barb’s and settling in for a few days at the ranch.
June 17, 2009
We drove back down to Missoula this afternoon to spend a few hours with Bridger and then a party at Bev and Clancy’s that they so generously organized so we could touch base with even more friends… it was fabulous. I still had to tell our “stories” several times but it felt good.
June 18, 2009
We got Bridger for the afternoon so Grandpa and Grandson had some “boy time” while I had my second “photofacial” this afternoon and picked up some “special” face cream that’s supposed to “slow” the aging process…it’s amazing how much money we’ll put out to try and stay young. Was being young all that wonderful? Or maybe did we not appreciate it when we had it?
We took Bridger over to our friends Don and Linda, and watched him play in the backyard while Don started the Bar-B-Q. RD had to take him home an hour earlier than expected so it delayed dinner a bit but we had a wonderful time catching up and drinking wine.
June 19, 2009
Got up early this morning and drove to Hamilton to pick up the puppy (Linda went with me as RD had been tracked down by some attorney to do a deposition). I was ever so grateful, I was completely unprepared…no leash, no kennel…she held him in her lap while I hit a pet store for food and a leash. Once back in Misoula I dropped her at her car then went to wait for RD while he finished his deposition. While waiting for RD some guy asked me if the puppy was a “Great Pyrenees”, I said I hope not he’s supposed to be an Australian Shepard!
We then drove over to Clancy and took it to Bob and Barb. When we pulled in RD asked Bob to help him get the entertainment center out of the car, the look on Bob’s face when he saw the puppy was priceless. Apparently Bob has been grumbling that “a man needs a dog” but Barb has been a bit reluctant. We are probably the only ones who could get away with this because we’re leaving…I told RD it felt like a hit-and-run. He slept in a kennel in our bedroom to give him some time to adjust…I got up twice in the night to take him out to “do his business”.
June 20, 2009
Turns out the puppy weighs 18#’s he’s going to be a bruiser. Bob still hasn’t named him yet, he’s even threatening to wait until I leave if I don’t quit asking him. Some friends stopped by for a few minutes and they had a very precocious 5 year old with them. Her first question to me was “Why is your hair white? Are you old?”...what could I say…yes…oh, the bluntness of innocence.
June 21, 2009
At 2:00 this afternoon the Marks clan gathered for Father’s Day and it just happened to be our 8th Anniversary. All of RD’s siblings were there except Rick & his wife Jane, and some of the grandkids and great grandkids were missing so there was only about 30 of us. Bob has finally come up with a name for the puppy…”Chips”. I knew he was referring to “wood chips” but I had to ask him if that made him dip as in “chips and dip” or fish as in “fish and chips”…
June 22, 2009
RD and I got up early, finished packing and flew first to Minneapolis and then on to Houston. Since RD had a 4+ hour layover I had Gene and Kathleen meet us at the International terminal where we loaded up all my luggage and RD’s carry-on and drove to a near-by restaurant for cocktails and a snack (RD and I were both starving). It was so nice for the four of us to be together and chat (it’s been several years since RD has been down here). After we dropped RD off I tried to call him on his “Wal-Mart” phone (as he calls it) and got Justin…he had left his phone in the truck in Montana. Something felt “off” but I brushed it aside. Once home Gene cooked us girls dinner (pork chops!) while Kathleen and I drank wine and got caught up. It always feels so comfortable being here in their home.
June 23, 2009
Today I just relaxed and read a book while Gene ran some errands and Kathleen saw a few clients…with all the traveling and running around I really needed the down time. When Kathleen was done Gene and I picked her up and we went to have a glass of wine at the Boom Boom Room. I’m counting the minutes until my hair cut tomorrow! Finally heard from RD late this afternoon. My instincts had been correct when I tried to call him yesterday. There was no airplane available so he didn’t leave until 4:30AM! Which put him in Doha at about 5:00 AM and he had to go to work (a 24 hour shift) 3 hours later…he was definitely dragging ass.
June 24, 2009
Got my haircut…should have taken pictures because it will never look like that again. It was really quite fabulous but there is not enough hair product and hairspray in the world to keep it looking that way what with menopause, sweat and humidity. After the haircut the original plan was for them to give me directions to a shopping area and I would take the car while Gene came and got Kathleen to drop her off at her office. By the time I got directions from three different people I was thoroughly confused and nervous about going off on my own. Gene suggested lunch and I jumped on the idea. We ended up in a little restaurant just up the street that Gene declared was a “great place to have an affair”…small, dimly lit, off the beaten path… We had a bit of fun with the waiter when we told him we were hiding from my husband and Gene’s wife. The waiter turned to me with a confused look on his face and said “are you the wife?” I said “one of them”, which only confused him more…he just walked away. Long story short my hair collapsed just sitting in the restaurant eating lunch! We popped back over to the salon and Mosen put another ½ can of hairspray into it but then I felt like I had helmut-head…not good…I’ll have to see what I can do with this haircut on my own. Kathleen had a party planned for this evening so we came home and finished tidying up the house, making a few appetizers and eventually taking a shower to wash my hair and start all over again. It was definitely not as cute when I did it. It was a “women that rock” party…an artist named Bonnie has an “art car” which she brings to your house. She sets up a table where she paints caricatures on rocks and has a boatload of hand-painted cowboy boots that she sets out for people to try on and buy. None of the boots fit me except the pair that Jen (one of Kathleen and Gene’s neighbor’s) grabbed when she first got here (while I was busy in the kitchen setting up food so missed the initial set-up)…not like I “need” a pair of cowboy boots but they were mighty cute.
June 25, 2009
Kathleen and I spent the morning picking out paint samples which I then ordered while she was seeing clients this afternoon. After that we pulled out the treatment table and I did a little work on her pelvis and hip (she’s getting a hip replacement on July 8th). After treating her I realized how valuable it would be for me to be able to balance her out right up until the surgery, keep her company while she is in the hospital (for 3 days) and help Gene for several days when she first gets home…I checked with RD and he said “everyone is gone for the summer, it’s hotter than the hinges of hell over here…stay there” so I’ve decided to stay until the 15th. We don’t leave for Botswana until the 19th so that gives me a few days to get over the jet lag before we take off again.
When we got home and turned on the TV we heard that Farrah Fawcett had died this morning and Michael Jackson had died this afternoon (completely overshadowing Farrah)…the 80’s are officially dead…
June 26, 2009
Got up this AM and changed my airline reservations, Jackie (our delightful travel agent and friend) just laughed when I told her I wanted to stay longer…for some reason she wasn’t the least bit surprised. The TV is still all Michael Jackson, all the time…is there nothing else happening in the world? Apparently he broke the internet…Twitter, Facebook and YouTube all crashed when the news broke…Google actually thought it was under attack!
Kathleen and I got ourselves put together and went shopping in the afternoon at a cute little boutique called “Artisan”. We spent about 2 hours trying on everything in the store and then were so hot and exhausted we had to come home.
June 27, 2009
I woke up with a painful right ankle (the one I broke so bad 3 years ago) which told me we have been running around too much. If my foot hurt like that I can only imagine what Kathleen’s hip felt like…I nearly had to duck tape her to a chair but we took it easy today.
June 28, 2009
We had a “make your own” pizza party at Jen and Ryan’s tonight. Unfortunately we let Jen (who has recently been on a diet) buy the toppings…turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni…I can get THAT in Doha! I need a real pizza!
June 29, 2009
I went grocery shopping this afternoon and then cooked dinner tonight. I know Gene likes to cook but so do I and I thought he needed a break. I bought enough food for 4 full meals so between me, Gene and eating out, no one person has to carry the load.
July 1-15, 2009
Kathleen and I ran around town like crazy women prior to her surgery. She had lot’s of things she wanted to clear off her agenda before hand, and lot’s of places she wanted to take me, but when my ankle continued to swell I finally got her to slow down “for me”…(I can only imagine what was going on in her hip).
Surgery went well and on the third day post surgery they finally sent her home. Gene and I had worried about the stairs because they hadn’t gotten a chance to practice them at the hospital but she cruised up them without any assist from either of us.
Once we got her in the house and settled into a hospital bed in the living room Gene and I took turns assisting her, walking with her and bringing her food and drinks. She did a lot of sleeping so it was a bit like sailing…long stretches of boredom interrupted by short flurries of activity. Finally, on day five post-surgery she came out of her surgery induced, drug induced sleepiness and really got bossy! I spent half the day moving furniture!
My last night Kathleen and I got hysterical at about 3:00 AM…it felt so good to laugh after watching her struggle for the past week. It was one of those rare moments that would not be funny to anyone else but one we will remember for the rest of our lives.