eight decades

I think it is interesting and worth comment that we had eight decades of ages at Four Winds, the timeshare on Longboat Key in June. For these purposes I'm assuming that all in-laws are in the same decade as their spice.

0's Jackson, Austin, Sarah
teens Jonathan, Colton, Daymond, Ryan
20's Brittany, Danny, Janna
30's Krista, Doug
40's Mitchell, Angie, Debbie, Erika, Lyle, Kathy
50's Kim, John
60's Paulette
70's Monica, Rita

This won't happen again for a long time since I am rapidly leaving the 60's and those in their 50's are just barely there.

Madison anyone?

Rita and I had a great overnight trip to Kewadin on Monday. There were heavy clouds and winds all the way up there and they were escorting trucks and busses going across the Macinac Bridge. The heavens opened up just as we got to our first casino stop in St. Ignace. I got three drops on me between the bus and the casino. When it was time to re-board the bus, all that was left were puddles.

One of my past blogs made reference to the fact that I can still sing and dance in my mind. Well, during a couple of wakeful hours Monday night I found some music in my head and I was dancing with Bill. We were doing the Madison. Its a fun dance. We learned it in a ballroom dance class and were pretty good at it.

What I'm thinking is that my body should get credit for all that exercise. Who do I see about that?

Couch Potato Heaven

What a great TV day. I spent all morning with my Coronation Street tapes and then after a brief nap I found the Hall of Fame Tennis Tournement from Newport, RI on Fox Sports Network and they had two semi-final matches. I expect to see Gimelstob and Philipousis in the finals tomorrow.

For my back-and-forth viewing there was a marathon of the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. They stopped in the middle of the quarter-finals and I'm afraid I will have to watch my local listings to find out when they will continue.

Then for icing on the cake, when both channels went to commercial at the same time, I still have my tape of all last week's Jeopardy shows.

Stuffing it

Stuffing seems to have been the right thing because I felt way better in time to go to Pat and Lee's anniversary party on Friday night. And what a swell party it was. We tried to teach Jackson the Chicken Dance the next day and he was fascinated by it. By us doing it.

Caugh, caugh

I have a cold. Its been a really long time since I've had a cold and it would seem that in the meantime, I got really old. When old people have a hacking caugh, the kind of caugh that proceeds to gag reflex, their bodies take that as permission to expell any excess air that has been hanging around inside.

So, I've got this cold. Should I be stuffing or starving? What the heck, I enjoy stuffing, I'll stick with that.

Soccer by the card

Yellow card, red card. How about SAG card. The more agony the foulee can convey, the more likely a yellow card. Do they learn that at soccer camp? Writhing 101. I realize they are on the field and not on the screen but it seemed too mean to substitute an F for the S.

But, oh, the tension. Agassi is serving at 4-5, the score is at deuce. Too tense, I turn to soccer. England is lining up for a free kick, Hargreaves is taking the kick. Too tense, back to tennis. Agassi has held for 5-5.

Fast forward, its the first set tiebreak, Agassi is at 5-2. Nadal's service brings it to 5-4, then he takes one of Agassi's serves, its 5-5 in the tiebreak. Back to soccer. They are in the second overtime. Portugal is very agressive. Robinson is blocking shots left and right. Portugal sends the ball into the net, but someone is off-sides and its not a goal. Back to tennis, they are in a commercial. I don't know who won the first set. The second overtime in the soccer game is over. They are going into penalty kicks.

OMG, I need a nap.

The Clock Struck 44g

I got a cramp in my leg last night. While I was repositioning, I glanced at the ceiling to see what time it was. I love my clock that reflects the time on the ceiling. The clock said 4.4g. I would have been OK with that, but the cramp persisted and I started to wonder what the g stood for. By the time I decided to get up and take a pill, the clock said 4:51.

By then I was awake enough and I turned on the early morning news to see what had gone on overnight. I said a prayer for the poor people caught in floods on the east coast. I was still awake when the clock said 5.5g. I dozed off sometime after that but woke in time to change the channel to ESPN2 at 7:00 where they are covering Wimbledon.

I am loving that tournement. All my favorite people are still in.

I've got my Megan. The bad news is that it is because of a crisis in Gordon's family. His mom came through her surgery as well as they could expect but she is not a happy invalid. I understand that she is resisting tests and medication which adds stress to her family but they are coping.

Just as I was getting ready to brag about having Megan, Gordon and his sister Tanya came and whisked her away. They are going someplace in Detroit from wence the fireworks will be visable for the big show tonight. Gretchen is meeting them there after work. I'm glad they are going to see the fireworks as long as they are down here. I, myself, am content to view them on TV.

In other news, the deposit has been made on the Scandanavian Cruise and since the Cruise dates are 6/16/07 thru 6/30/07 I will not be going to the time share in Florida next year.

The sadness of missing Florida is rapidly being replaced by the excitement as I track our ports of call on my globe. The ship leaves from Dover, England and goes to Oslo, Norway: Stockholm, Sweden: Helsinki, Finland: two days at St. Petersburg, Russia: Berlin, Germany: two days at Copenhagen, Denmark: Helsingborg, Sweden and back to Dover, England.

We got a great cabin assignment close to the Grand Foyer, which means close to the main elevators. Eat your hearts out.

Basement Woes

I have, not just one, but two daughters at my disposal. Jackson wants to go down the basement anyways so they may as well do my laundry. What did we find down there. A river of rusty water leading from under the furnace to the drain. The water was rusty because the bottom of the furnace panel and a leg of the hot water heater were all rusted. Who knows how long that water has been running down the drain.

I may have mentioned in a previous blog about this motor that is mounted on the side of my furnace encased in an uncovered metal box. That enclosure was now full of water and it was dripping onto the floor from there. There is an electrical cord running from this motor and there is an electrical outlet very close to the cord but the cord is not plugged in. No one, not maintenance people, tradespeople, friends or family has been abel to tell me what this motor was and whether it should be plugged in.

So, I called maintenance Monday morning. Yes, they would come out, but if the problem turned out to be A/C related they would charge me for their time. So I called the A/C people. Last time I needed them it was $85.00 to come out and extra if they had to do anything. I was envisioning needing a whole new A/C unit. The City of Westland recently changed their code requirements and I have heard that the cost of installing A/C has tripled.

They couldn't come out until the next day (Tuesday). So I called maintenance back and said never mind, I had the A/C people coming out and that if it was not A/C related, I would call maintenance back. But in the meantime, could they send someone by just to tell me what that motor was for because no one seemed to know.

So the maintenance guy showed up. Erika went downstairs with him. He plugged in the motor and all the water disappeared. That was the pump to get rid of excess condensation while the A/C was running. He is a new guy with maintenance and he comes from Florida so he said he knew all about those kinds of things.

I cancelled the A/C repair guy, and alls well that ends well. Except for the huge rust stains on my brand new basement floor and all the diluted tile glue coming up through the cracks in the tiles. Erika tried to get the rust stains out with CLR but it didn't work. No biggie.

The best laid plans

Erika should be in her car with Jackson peacefully napping in anticipation of getting to Grandma's pool and going swimming with Aunt Gretchen.

That part of the plans has changed. Gordon't father died a little while ago and someone is driving Gordon from West Branch to Birch Run. Gretchen is on her way to Birch Run to pick him up and bring him down here.

I don't know how the rest of Gretchen's week will unfold. My deepest sympathy to Gordon and the Gerth family.

Ikea, Ukea, everybody kea

Our Ikea opens tomorrow morning. Steph called me yesterday afternoon to let me know she was in line and had been interviewed by the local news shows. I saw her on Channel 2, and saw her in the background on Channel 4. The first 100 people in line are promised a chair that sells for $72.00. Steph said she was number 5. There are lots of other incentives like mystery envelopes with ascending amounts of money and percentages off. When I first saw the circular I thought to myself that if I were an able bodied person I would like to go there. But I envisioned getting in the car at 8:45 to get there for the 9:00 opening.

The roofing people just set up all their paraphernalia in front of my house. What with the trucks, tarps and ladders, I'm glad I don't have any flowers and shrubs out there, and pity the folk who do.

Happy Birthday Kathy

Vacation

Rita is at the airport. She will be at Monica's tonight. Her vacation has started. I have done most of my packing. That means that if I had to, I could zip it up right now and go. But I don't have to so I will undoubtedly think of more things to put in it. Like, oh yeah, a bathing suit. I am using the smallest suitcase possible because we have to have extra room on the way there so that we can fill it with Kathy and her belongings on our way back.

I have committed Gretchen to watering Rita's plants each Wednesday that she is gone.

Kelly and his girlfriend (yes, remember Diana from Easter?) came by to take Rita to the airport. I didn't get to talk to them, I just saw her leaving.

No more home teams in playoff games and only one American left at Roland Garros. Go Venus.

Homecoming

I slowly open the back yard gate and peer down the alley. The alley looks empty, but Mama said that it was time. I step into the alley without letting go of the gate. I lean as far as I can into the alley, without letting go of the gate. And suddenly there he is.

I let go of the gate and begin to run. I run past Wally's yard. I run past Jefferies' yard. I run past Bobbie Moore's yard. I am very far from home. It is scary, but exciting. There is a dog in one of the yards. I can't see him because of the fence but I can hear him barking. It is scary but exciting.

Then I look up, and there he is. He is smiling and his arms are wide. I take a leap and he scoops me up. He kisses my face. He kisses me on the eye. The stubble of his beard picks my face. We are laughing. He's happy that I came.

He carries me high on his arm. I can see the dog now. He is still barking and jumping against the fence. Nothing is scary anymore because we are laughing.

We come to our own back yard. The gate is still open. I look into his eyes. I'm not supposed to leave the gate open. But he is still laughing and swings me down to the ground while he closes the gate.

Once released from his arms, I can run to the house and announce to everybody - "Papa's home".

Its raining

Its raining. Its raining hard. I'm all alone on the back porch. I have my pick of the big red rocking chairs. I like the bigger one better because I can sit cross legged on it and rock higher. There's thunder and there's lightening. Bernie told me that Bobby Moore's grandmother got hit by lightening standing in their back garden. But I am safe. I'm on the porch.

A little while ago, Monica was back there with me. Before it started to rain. We were playing cut-outs. We got matching cut-out books for Easter. Rita helped me cut out the dolls because they are on the covers and the paper is thicker and harder to cut. I cut out the clothes myself.

Monica gets mad when I put the same dresses on my dolls that she puts on hers. Its hard for me to decide what my dolls should wear. When I see what her's are wearing, it seems like a good idea.

Monica got mad at me and went inside. It was too windy to keep playing anyways and then the rain started. I liked the smell and the sound of the rain. Watching it hit the sidewalk.

Our sidewalks were smooth and flat from the alley all the way to the front of the house. That was good for roller skates but not so much for collecting rain puddles. There would be good puddles in the alley but if you jump into them barefoot, you might hit a stone or piece of glass. Alley puddles were better when it was colder and you were wearing boots.

It gets darker and the wind gets colder. I don't want to go in the house because I will run into Monica and she is mad at me.

Mama comes out on the porch. She brings me a sweater. She takes the smaller rocking chair, letting me stay in the big one. We sit together and watch the rain. I love Mama.

The company

Company was coming. The air was electrified. Houses were cleaned. Pies were baked. Larders were replenished. And, if the company came from far away, bedrooms and sleeping spaces were shuffled to accomodate. Possibly the reason for some of my time on McKinstry.

Company had to be shown the Detroit Zoo. Company had to be shown Belle Isle. Company had to be shown Edgewater Park, especially, the fun house.

One year, when Company included the Grandparents, we all walked to the home of Petit Noir who lived on Pearl near Vernor Highway to show them TV. On a Tuesday night, of course, so we could watch Milton Berle. That year we also showed them a Drive-In Movie and went to see Trail of the Lonesome Pines.

Dinners were planned. Dinners that required more than one table setting not including the children who were fed early and then pressed into service to fetch and carry, serve and clear.

After dinner the floors were cleared for dancing and entertainment. Children were encouraged to perform and so did the adults. At Ma'Tante Vonna's house on Clark Street there was a victrola in the living room with good dance music records. Squares would form up and Tony was the caller.

First couple lead to the right. four hands around and Birdie in the Cage. Birdie fly out and the gent fly in. Gent fly out and two couples swing.

After the dancing started nobody paid much attention to the kids. We got to play outside. It was dark out. If it got too scary outside, nobody noticed if you found a quiet place to sit just inside the doorway and watch.

When the party was at our house, and bedtime had been achieved, no one noticed if we crept down the staircase to listen.

Red Leaves

When I moved in here winter had a strong toehold and most leaves were off the trees. Across the parking lot, about 4 doors down from me is a lovely large tree. It is the focal point of the view from my living room picture window. There were a small clump of branches on that tree that were clinging to some red leaves. I kept waiting for the leaves to fall. They never did.

All through the winter, through the snow and ice, winds and rain, those sturdy red leaves hung on. Then spring started to spring and most of the trees around here started to bud. This tree remained bare. When other trees were visably green, this tree started to bud.

Ah, I thought to myself, now those fragile red leaves will be pushed off by the new buds. I have been checking it faithfully every day. I search the ground beneath the tree for fallen leaves (from my easy chair, of course, I don't go outside and search). I've never found any.

The tree is quite green now, and because I know where to look I can pick out the red leaves. There they sit. Red leaves among the green.

Dinner with Elise and Larry

My dinner with Elise and Larry was in no way remarkable. Elise got married the same year I did. We stood up at each other's weddings and it is always delightful to spend time with them.

Many years ago Larry suffered a stroke and he has been fighting long and hard to regain normal functions. There is a slight list to his stance and a slight slacking of facial muscles that advertise him as a stroke patient. But, he has regained his speech and motor skills and seems to enjoy a high quality of life. His mind and memory are the equal of any of us this age.

When I arrived at the restaurant (Ram's Horn) they were already seated so I joined them and over dinner conversation told them about my recent encounters with advanced arthritis. As we were leaving, I pointed out a walker with a seat attachment and said that that was what I was going to need when I got to the walker stage. The man it belonged to said "just take it." I said I would if I thought I could outrun him, but no.

After dinner they came over to mine to see my new place. As we walked from room to room (not that many) Elise and I had to find a place to sit while we chatted and discussed. Larry was content to stand and pace and check things out. He even went down and checked out the basement. My point here being that among the three of us he is the most fit.

My Cousin Elise

I had dinner last night with Elise and Larry.

For those of you who are generationally challenged, Elise is my first Cousin, daughter of my father's sister ReJeanne after whom I am named, because she is my Godmother. Elise and I were close growing up, partly because we were close in age and because among we siblings, her mother liked me best (duh).

I remember spending parts of many summers at her house on McKinstry street just a block away from Clark Park. Elise was an only child in her early years and quite spoiled. Her father was called Petit Blanc. It was a nickname but we didn't know that at the time. He came by that nickname because he actually had a twin brother who was called Petit Noir.

Ma'Tante Jeanne and Petit Blanc had three children born at 7 year intervals. That's why I'm thinking they each had the "only child" experience.

Sitting in the kitchen on McKinstry, watching Ma'Tante Jeanne cook was not like watching my mother cook. I had watched my mother make hamburgers. She opened the butcher papered package of ground beef and tore off little chunks and made patties. So now I prepared to watch Ma'Tante Jeanne make hamburgers. She opened the butcher paper and dumped the whole lump of ground beef into a bowl. I thought to myself "WTF" or something similar that would have been appropriate for the times.

Then, this aunt of mine, of whom I was quite fond, took an egg and broke it right over the meat and started mixing them together. I had to leave the kitchen so I don't know if that was the only thing she put in there. Of course, I didn't eat my hamburger at dinner. Ma'Tante Jeanne knew I was a picky eater and was quite kind about it.

Another McKinstry kitchen memory is of the rhubarb that grew in their back yard. When Ma'Tante Jeanne harvested the rhubarb to make pies she would give me and Elise each a stalk with a mound of course salt to dip it in. Ah, good times on McKinstry.

I'll save the story of dinner with Elise and Larry for tomorrow's post.

Doctor, doctor

OK, the pain in my left hand and wrist has passed the point that I expect it to go away on its own and I went to the doctor. She tested my strength and flexibility, took some blood work and sent me to the other side of the building for a series of xrays. I remembered to mention the pain behind my left knee so they xrayed that too. I forgot to mention the bottoms of my feet since that has been a lot better for a while now.

The Xray lady came in holding the same chart file my doctor had and led me to the xray room. She sat me on a rolly stool at the foot of the xray table and started to position my arm. It started flat on the table. I could do that. Then she needed it turned away from me. I could almost do that. Then she said, now turn your hand so that its facing you. I wanted to ask her if it said anywhere on that chart that my problem was a limited range of motion. She got all her wrist pictures and said While I develop these you can climb up on the table and lay flat on your back. I almost cried but didn't mention how many pillows it takes on my bed for me to lay on my back. Then she started with straight leg, bend it this way, lean it that way. Man, what a workout.

The prize goes to the person who said arthritis. It seems my left arm is consumed with arthritis from shoulder to fingertip. Also the knees. She gave me some samples of Celebrex. I took one as soon as I got home, about half hour ago. I can already feel less pain and more range of motion as I type. Why, oh why, didn't she give me one of these before the xrays?

I Burned

So far this year, I have caulked, I-Poded and now I have burned a couple of CDs. Am I a new age woman or what.

And, since I spent the whole day at the Casino Windsor, and I know its Tuesday, I didn't get any pea soup. Maybe next week.