Week in Review
I’ve decided to reflect and write about a slice of my life. Rather than concentrate on my whole life I’ve focused on a single week. In an unscientific manner I have sampled my life by viewing a single week.
My life consists of 68 years for total of 3536 weeks, minus 1177 weeks for sleeping, 780 weeks of my first 15 years, 68 weeks for eating and 22 weeks for showering and other personal care needs leaves a total of 1487 weeks to reflect upon. I think that given my self imposed limit for a blog a single week feels about right.
After careful consideration I have chosen last week. Perhaps that week is typical and then it may be an aberration. But it is the week I remember best. I’ve probably had better and worse weeks, sillier and more meaningful weeks but remembering the details is a stretch of the imagination. So last week it is.
Monday found me catching up to wife at the surgeon’s office for her first post-op visit. The healing of the incision is going smoothly and without any indications of problems. On the other hand the nerve repair will take six months to year to know if the problem has been solved. The downside is there is still leg pain that comes and goes. Good news and test your patience news. Nothing in life is certain except dessert. You won’t know until you know if it is any good.
Tuesday evening we went out Dutch treat for my niece’s 40th birthday. One of my sons joined us and about twenty others at a casual restaurant (read as noisy) for the celebration. Any day with family and cake is okay in my rating system of days.
Wednesday I took the day off for VA and routine medical appointments. The added bonus for the day was lunch with my wife at a small (cheap) Mexican restaurant and plenty of time at the health club for 3.3 mile walk. At lunch we ran across a former co-worker who is recovering from a blood cancer but was hopeful that he had turned a health corner. We had time to visit a neighborhood friend whose home is being remodeled through one of the TV remodeling shows. It was great to see the progress of the project and the joy it was bringing to the family. Another friend called my wife excited that she has been selected for a TV talent contest (we are sworn to secrecy about the show and other details). Both friends deserve the luck they have received. Send a little luck my way.
Thursday I had time to browse the bookstore at lunchtime, which I hadn’t enjoyed in sometime. Several years ago I read “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer that related the tragic travels of Christopher Johnson McCandless. It remains part of my permanent library collection, in which there are several similar books. At the book store I found another similar but not tragic story; “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed relates her life’s struggles. I plan to download it to my Nook and perhaps review for a future blog. Before I came home I had time to walk 2 miles at the club in preparation for Saturday’s 5K charity event. A friend from out-of-town came to visit his son and spent the night with us. We enjoyed chatting, dinner at home and for dessert with more cake when another couple came over also. A weeknight without TV and with adult company is plus by any measuring standard.
Friday our visiting friend treated my wife to breakfast while I trudged off to work. Somehow it doesn’t seem fair. Our decision to have a cookout at the house for Mother’s Day may not have been a wise one; Iris is still plagued by leg pain.
The cookout was my idea not hers, so I’m the bad guy. We joined our best friends and my sister-in-law for dinner with coupons for a free appetizer and dessert. Mid-way through dinner the skies opened up to a torrent of rain, wind and hail. It sound like someone was throwing marbles on the roof. On the way home we saw at least two downed trees. The power of nature was revealed and gone in less than 10 minutes, awesome and fearful at the same time. Nature’s evening show made my efforts of the day seem rather tame.
Saturday morning I woke around 4 am to go the bathroom and let the dog out. Ruby has been a little out of sorts the past few days and we are concerned about her health. Preoccupation about my upcoming 5K Any Baby Can Charity Walk made it hard to return to sleep, so I got out of bed at 5:30 am for a cup of coffee and started working on my blog. Iris slogged with me to the park for the 5K event. We waited for the formalities and kids’ events to be completed before over 800 supporters of Any Baby Can started the combo 5K/10K course. Much later in the day my wife found the results online; I was pleased with my time of 41 minutes and 33 seconds. Upon our return home our painter was at work on the outside of the house after a rain delayed week and color selection delays. Of course the day wouldn’t be complete without another few bucks laid out to the painter for supplies.
Sunday (Mother’s Day) morning instead of usual Mexican breakfast out we had farm fresh eggs for breakfast at home. I cleaned the patio, cleaned the grill and started laundry while Iris rested her sore leg. Iris received her Mother’s Day gifts: a new insulated travel coffee mug and a gift certificate for pedicure (this is actually one of her most appreciated gifts). The rest of the morning and early afternoon was a blur of preparation for our Mother’s Day Home Cookout. I prepared lunch on my own under Iris’ direction. We had eleven for lunch. As usual it was a noisy family affair with the added bonus of three dogs. Iris enjoyed the day and that evening we had a late dinner of leftovers. Did I mention that we had many desserts: cookies, Danish Cake, Fudge cake from Thursday night, fresh fruit and whole watermelon? Why did we wait until the last day of the week for dessert?
Everyday Ruby, our 70 pound yellow lab, greeted me upon my arrival home with a wagging tail and a lick on the face. Did I mention that my wife also greeted me everyday, but no wagging tail or lick on the face? But she had an equally loving hello and kiss for me. Each positive event of the week has been balanced by a less than pleasant one. Iris wakes up fine but within a few hours the pain returns. The sunshine of today has been enhanced by the dark days of earlier in the week. The cookout was accompanied by cleanup and some indigestion. We survived to start another week.
The week was filled with family, friends, helping others with a donation to Any Baby Can and time for healthy exercise. There is not much more to ask for in life.
Week in review plus one day: No aches or pains from 5K on Saturday, large bloated feeling from overeating Sunday and all week, and Iris made an appointment with the surgeon to try to figure out what is going on with her leg. I called the insurance company about possible hail damage from Friday night’s storm.
Life is uncertain. Where is the complaint department?
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That is a great post Dad.
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