Back with the Living

Where to start, I just don't know? I haven't posted since June 21st. HA! and that was done by Amelia. Actually, there hasn't been much in the past 5 months to share or to want to remember. Amanda has commandeered my camera, and making much better use of it, I must admit. That is my excuse for no pictures but really it's because there is no one here to show me how to do it. The whole summer I spent laying on an ice pack wondering if I was ever going to be able to more than hobble from point A to point B, but, now, I am happy to report that I am back with the living. I went to stay with my sister Lesa, in North Ogden, for the month of September. Her husband is a physical therapist and works in a clinic with every contraption imaginable to lengthen, strengthen, shorten, soften, relax, ice up, heat up, and rub down. I was able to have PT everyday doing exercises and then traction, electrical stimulation and ultrasound at the end. All the pain, numbness, tingling and weakness in my left leg that I had had all summer (caused by pressure from the bugle on a nerve) was gone within a week or so and then the rest of the time was healing and strengthening...... okay, and eating and movies and laughing and shopping. I had a great time while there. I really needed it. I didn't have to drive or cook or be any one's mom. When I didn't feel good I could get some ice and go lay down and not feel guilty because of everything else I should be doing. I was really happy to get home but enjoyed the time down there and am sooooo grateful to Don and Lesa for letting stay for so long, for all Don's help and his tolerance with having me mooch for so long. I am walking in the mornings with friend and doing yoga again. I can even sit through church. It feels wonderful to be able to move around again. The potential for back problems will always be there but as long as I am careful and keep exercising I will be able to do pretty much what I want. I am back working at Williams Sonoma and it is still fun. I really look forward to the holiday season. It get so crazy but I just love it.

The first of September the girls moved out and the first of October we had 2 young men move in. One was Aaron Anderson who is a med student from Las Vegas who was doing a radiology rotation at UW/Harbor View for 1 month. His wife is the daughter of Gary and Mandy Ottley in Quincy. She and their 2 little boys were at her parents for a couple weeks then went back to Las Vegas. Gary and Daurell grew up together in Quincy. The Ottley's called a week before to see if it would be possible for Aaron to stay with us or did we know any place where he could stay. It worked out great for us because, Stephen, who's lease was up and needed a place to live for 2 months until he gets married December 1st, was moving in the same weekend. He and his fiance' are friends of Amanda. Aaron left the end of October and we have really missed him. What's not to like, I thought, he helped me fold towels (among many other things)! He and Stephen saw each other about 4 times the whole month as they were both very busy, but, become fast friends in a short amount of time. Aaron is a AVID fly fisherman and was out on a stream every spare minute of day light possible. Turns out it can be quite an extreme sport. He and Daurell went over to Eastern Washington one Saturday to spend a leisure day on the Yakima River. As Aaron put it, it went from bad to worse. Daurell had invested in his very own pair of chest high waders (already had a rod from Christmas 8 years ago) and in waist high water slipped on a slimy rock. Bending over to catch his balance the moving water found it's way straight into the top of Daurell's waders. Gasping at the near freezing cold water filling his boots soaking his clothes, he realized his cell phone had probably seen it's last day. Fortunately Aaron has some extra jeans etc. that Daurell could change into. After that crisis was handled but no chance of reviving the cell phone, they moved to a shallower spot in the river. Nice and dry and ready to try it again, they get out in the river and start once more only to have Daurell slip again, only this time the water much more shallow. In trying to catch himself from falling into the water, Daurell somehow pulled his hamstring in his left leg. He was paralyzed with pain and couldn't move. Aaron had to hike up to the road and selectively flagged down a muddy looking pick-up truck and asked the drivier to help him get Daurell out of the river. Luckily it was a guy who had been duck hunting and said he didn't mind getting his feet wet. After a while in Urgent Care in Issaquah Aaron brought Daurell home loaded up on painkillers. David, excited Dad was home from fishing, ran out to the garage, took one look at Daurell , came back in and shrieked, "Dad's unconcious!" We had theater tickets that night, with one look at Daurell, I knew we would not be using them. The following week for poor Daurell was spent in agony. We kept it wrapped tightly and with regular doses of Advil and vicadin (sp) he still managed to mow the lawn and blow the leaves. A man does have his priorities. He is working at Expedia.com on a short term basis right now and enjoying the work. Pulled hamstrings make it difficult to sit so he had to work standing up for a few days. Awkward, but, one does what one has to do.

We had a fun celebration of Sharon/David birthday. The tradition of David's favorite tacos was carried forward. It was fun to laugh. David is now 13 and uses hair product. The Beehive girls one day told me they just love David, he is so fun to tease, he is so cute, I love how short he is, etc. etc. etc. When I told him what they said he said, "Ha! They hate me. They are so mean to me. They won't leave me alone. They always try to touch my hair and they say I'm short." Once I explained the girls to him, that that is their way of getting his attention, he has been a whole new boy. It was probably best to have left him thinking they didn't like him, but, he does look better with his hair clean, coiffed and styled. He has even gotten picky about his socks.

I will try to update my posts more often and maybe some Sunday Amanda can help me with a photo or two. CONGRATULATIONS to Nalani and Carrie! What fun for you both.