Observations

[larryJ]

Thanks.  You do what you gotta do.  Besides, there have been times in the past when I was laid up and she was there for me.  Turn about is fair play, or something like that.

Today, she is scheduled to return to Torrance to the surgeon's office.  The cousin will take the granddaughters to swimming lesson and I will take the wife to Torrance.  I was able to wrap her with plastic so she could sit on a shower chair and take a shower last night.  She was told to keep the area dry.  That worked pretty good.  I may have to do some more repair work on the bandage today before we go.  She was instructed to walk as much as possible.  The first day, Monday, she walked for about ten minutes in the morning and again in the evening.  Yesterday, she wasn't up early enough to beat the heat so she didn't walk in the morning, but did walk slowly for about 30 minutes in the evening which included stops for rest along the way.  We live in a tract area on a dead end street which is very quiet meaning not much traffic so it is pleasant to just stroll down the street. 

The other grandmother has gone on vacation for two weeks so we get the granddaughters every day.  Fortunately they don't require much care as they are old enough to take care of most of their needs.  The oldest, #1, is especially helpful to me and I love her for it.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

Walking inside counts too. Sounds like she is doing well.

[larryJ]

For those keeping track of this latest subject......the doctor was highly pleased with her healing process.  X-rays were taken which showed a significant improvement over a previous image taken before the surgery.  The bandage was removed and not replaced as the incision had sufficiently healed.  She will still have pain from the surgery for a while. but that will subside with time.  Last evening, we walked the neighborhood for 30 minutes with a few rest stops to admire a neighbor's new baby, studying a new plant in someone's yard not seen before, etc.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

Glad to hear the good report.

[larryJ]

I am beginning to think we have isolated ourselves too much over the years.  While we know many of the people in this tract of 135 homes, and are close friends to some of them, our now daily therapy walks are becoming quite interesting.

Last evening, we went for the walk about three blocks down the street to the main street where we enter the tract.  One neighbor two blocks down has lived here almost as long as we have (37 years.)  We knew her when she was a grocery checker at one of the local supermarkets which eventually changed hands and she went somewhere else.  We knew she had a daughter about the same age as our daughter.  We don't normally see one another on a regular basis, just in passing.  Last night, we happened to meet as she and her husband were walking their dogs on the other side of the street.  She has an avocado tree in her front yard so my wife asked her when the avocados were in season.  She said they were pretty much gone now.  They went on their way and we started for home.  As we passed her house, a young man was outside and asked us if we could use some avocados.  So we waited while he picked some for us.  He was in his 20's and to our surprise was a grandson to our neighbor.  We felt kinda old at that point.  He informed us that he and his mother lived on the next street behind us.  So we said something like, "Oh, you must live across the street from so-and-so."  His reply:  "Yeah, but he passed about a year ago."  Shock! 

We don't get out much.

Larryj

[larryJ]

After many days of walking the school parking lot which we found was smoother for her walker than our street, we discovered the huge concrete quad area in the school area.  DUH!  I am happy to say that she is doing much better by walking for a longer period of time and last evening walked without the walker for a short distance.  She hadn't walked for three days due to a fever.  Her fever is better now.

Speaking of schools.........both #1 and #2 will be attending the same school this year.  The oldest will be in third grade and the other one will start Kindergarten.  They both start at the same time in the morning, but get out at different times so I will be hanging out at the school for about an hour on the days that they are in my care.  Our schools are starting even earlier this year with the first full day on August 15th.  Their last day will be on May 30, 2014.  Remember when school started after the Labor Day Weekend?

My son and a high school friend decided to take the kids camping for three days.  He took the three granddaughters and his friend took his two daughters.  He came home exhausted.  Said he could hardly keep up with them.  If one had to go to the bathroom, they all had to go.  The girls did everything as a group just like campers should, but it wore him out and he is a big man and only 36.  They made Smores, watched movies from a projector my son had bought some time ago, rode their trikes and scooters up and down the hill getting scrapes and bruises and ate just about everything in sight on demand.  I was laughing remembering his childhood and our camping trips.  In fact, when he was ten years old, he and I drove to Howard for a reunion.  We had a Toyota pickup with a camper shell.  It was rigged with bench seats in the back on which we put a piece of plywood and a mattress and stored all the camping gear underneath.  We were gone for eleven days only staying three nights in a motel along the way.  He still thinks that was one of the best trips we ever took together, just father and son. 

Tomorrow will mark our 39th anniversary.  I don't think we will be doing much owing to her condition.  Not a big deal.  We can celebrate anytime.

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

Happy anniversary early. Glad your wife is still doing well.

[larryJ]

THE UP SIDE.......

Today, some friends of ours held a baby shower for our son and daughter-in-law in Yorba Linda, about 25 miles south of us.  They live in a beautiful house on a hill overlooking a huge valley filled with homes.  She fixed tons of food and there was plenty of booze and non-alcoholic drinks for the kids.  They have a rather spacious patio area with two ponds and a fountain.  There were about 30 people in attendance.  My daughter-in-law received some wonderful gifts for the expectant son.  It should only be two or three more weeks.  My wife had been trying to decide if she could handle the trip and the afternoon without her bed.  When she woke this morning, she felt pretty good and decided to go.  Double cushions were put on one of the patio rockers so she wouldn't have to struggle if she wanted to stand up.  She held up really well.  The only problem was the driveway which slopes downward to the house.  I had brought a wheelchair just for that purpose.  My son met us outside and was able to get her into the house with no problem.  All three of our grandchildren were there along with my daughter and her husband.  It really was a wonderful afternoon visiting with all of my son's (as well as our) friends.  We have been together on many occasions so it was like they were all family.

THE DOWN SIDE....

When we left we were going down the main street to the freeway and saw my brother-in-law standing on the sidewalk.  We turned around to go back to see what was wrong.  Apparently, the left front brake on his car had broken and the car was not drivable.  We called AAA and they sent a tow truck to pick him up and deliver the car to our house.  He has a friend who is a mechanic in Santa Monica, but the friend wouldn't be there on a Sunday, so the car was towed to our house.  Tomorrow, AAA will tow the car to Santa Monica.  Once he was here, he had to wait for the last train into Los Angeles.  I took him to the train and stopped by the police station to get an overnight parking pass.  In our town, it is against the law to park on the street between 2 AM and 4 AM.  There was space in my driveway for his car, but it was better to leave it in the street to make it easier to load tomorrow.  Acquiring a parking pass is easy.  There is a machine at the front of the police station that works like an ATM.  You put in your money and out comes the pass.  The pass costs $3.00, but if you don't get one and get a ticket, the fine is $25. 

THE STRANGE SIDE.......

Around here everyone has a cell phone, especially teenagers. While waiting at the train station, I saw a young lady, maybe 17 years old, walk up to a pay phone, put her money in and make her call.  Strange?  Yeah, what teen doesn't have a cell phone?  And, do you know how rare it is to find a pay phone around here anymore? 

THE GOOD SIDE........

My wife got through the day with no problems although she was tired when we got home.

All is well.

Larryj

[larryJ]

MORE.........

I am going to post a shameless plug for AAA.  Yesterday, they picked up his car and delivered to our house, a distance of roughly 20 miles.  This morning, after my brother-in-law had made arrangements with his mechanic, I called AAA and told them I needed to have the car towed to Santa Monica, a distance of about 40 miles.  I called at 9:25.  AAA called back about ten minutes later and informed me that the truck would be there around 10:20.  This is acceptable because it was a non-emergency call.  The tow truck actually showed up at 9:55 and the driver shook my hand, glanced at my membership card and promised me he would get it to Santa Monica as soon as possible.  I tipped him $10 for coffee and doughnuts or maybe some breakfast.  45 minutes later my brother-in-law called to say the car was there.  It turns out that the transmission is gone.  This is a 16 year old Camry and has been a really excellent car.  His decision is to have it fixed or junk it and get another car.  He has decided to get it fixed. 

I would have junked it and gone car shopping.

Anyhoo, AAA did a great job for which they should be commended.

Larryj

[larryJ]

This is a really sad observation.....

This morning a young man, probably 15 or 16, came to the door selling discount cards that the local high school sells every year.  The cards are good for discounts for many local businesses and well worth the $10 cost of the card.  We usually buy one every year. 

So what is so sad about that? 

I gave the young HIGH SCHOOL, I emphasize, HIGH SCHOOL, lad a $20 bill and he wasn't sure how much change to give back!

Now, having lived near this high school for 37 years and having both of my children graduate from this high school, I can assure you, (hopefully) that the academic standards of this high school are not low.

#1 and #2 granddaughters are here today and they saw and heard the conversation.  After he left, the oldest said, "Papa, how come he didn't know that he owed you $10 change?  I knew that!"

A really sad observation.

Larryj