Happier Thoughts

Yesterday, I was a bit down. (Yes, I would like some cheese with this whine.) Work is still posing some struggles for me, and Simon's knee is the 900-pound gorilla of our family life. It's becoming a family member in its own right: an annoying relative who comes for a visit and then won't leave. (Maybe we should name his knee "Anita". Except that I tend to think it as a guy.) Just showering or picking up something he drops is a major deal. We are making progress, though. He went in for an MRI on Thursday, and asked that the results be sent straight to the surgeon that he is interested in. We meet this guy on Monday. Si wants me to go along, less for moral support than to be convenient so we can play the planner game. As in, "WHAT?! No way can you have the surgery on THAT day! I have to do pretesting that day, and we're understaffed! What about the following Friday?"

Any sort of forward movement is instrumental in keeping Simon's personal raincloud from enveloping the whole family. Last night, he emerged from a long, grim silence with, "You know, sometimes they use a tendon from a cadaver." (WTF??) "Well, fine. The cadaver can spare it. Does that bug you?" "It's just weird. Or they take tendons from elsewhere in your body." I pondered. "Well, I'm sitting here wondering where I might have some superfluous tendons... If I think of any, you can have them."

Right. Time for some cheerful thoughts. Let's go to my happy place. Watch Kate attempt cheer without benefit of alcohol.

1. (A knee-related cheerful thought) It could be worse. I have pointed out to Simon that, if he were a Congolese cobalt miner and thrashed his ACL, there would be no MRI, no repair, no therapy. That's how it is for most of the world, right?

2. The day was perfect for soccer and the kids both had good games. Nate's team didn't win, but he made a goal. Si is persisting as the team's coach. He clops around the field on crutches and I traipse along in his wake, carrying clipboard, goal keeper shirt, etc...

3. I'm reading Anne of Green Gables aloud to Sara, which is fun, since Anne is quite the drama-queen.

4. The peaches are getting ripe. I climbed the ladder to the uppermost branches and found about 8 that were ready for picking. There is nothing better than a sun-warmed peach, straight from the tree.

5. I called my dad, who is a constant source of amusement to me. I had loads of fun applying my verbal flame-thrower to Ten Thousand White Women. He's reading it at the moment, and I HATED it. But in a joyful way - I devoured it, ridiculing it at every page.

6. Additional amusement from Dad. He has surprised me by telling me that he is going to the Gambia right after Christmas. Seems that, while he was at the Boyscout World Jamboree last summer, he struck up a friendship with a Gambian scout leader, and they've been corresponding. This buddy, Babu, has invited Dad to visit him, and Dad's going. They will travel up the Gambia River together. I am insanely jealous. And proud of Dad: for the way he makes friends and the way he is always up for anything. I can't help imagining, though, this Gambian guy talking to his wife right now: "Yeah, he's this old fart from America. What do you mean where's he going to sleep? Put him on the sleeping porch with everybody else. He'll love it - he'll think it's exotic. Yeah, I know, I know. It's gonna be a hassle; but when I invited him, I had no idea he was going to say yes! Man! What if he wears his scout uniform the whole time?"