Timothy Zeddies

It rained all through last night, though not very loudly. Today was a very dark and damp day, an indoor kind of day. I got the sheets changed and washed, at long last. I supposedly got more sleep than usual, but I woke up so many times in the process that it was not particularly restful. My joints became so stiff and achy that I had trouble walking when I got up from any period of sitting. It was really almost comical the way I was limping around. I have no idea why this is happening, so I'm blaming it on the weather. It's me rheumatizz!

Now that the experiment is concluded, I can say that the Sparrowhawk's venture with entacapone was not at all successful. It made his dyskinesia significantly worse, and had other disagreeable side effects. He decided to quit taking it, and the last few days have been an improvement. I mean, it's not great, because he still has the same difficulties that led him to try the new med, but at least they're back to just the same-old same-old.

I got some new boots, the kind that people wear with pants or long skirts. They were on sale, and thus I fell prey to temptation. They are made of PLASTIC. I don't know what possessed me to think they might be even partly leather, at that price. Although I am cynical, I can still be gullible on occasion. I guess I'll wear them for awhile, until they become too irritating. I wore them to church, feeling very uninspired. When we got home, we had a snacky sort of dinner, with hot bacon and cold sliced steak, bread, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes in case one might want a sandwich, and mashed potatoes and green beans in case one might want something hot. I still feel pretty suboptimal, and hope I can stay in hibernation mode tomorrow. It's supposed to keep on raining, so that shouldn't be too hard. Hmmm, my nice fresh sheets . . . lying around is an attractive idea.

Today we had all the doors and windows open so the cool fresh air could waft through the house. The weather changed overnight from yesterday, when it was still humid and too warm. Tron and the Lumberjack arrived at lunch time yesterday, to help celebrate the Sparrowhawk's birthday. It was a joy to see them again, and they were so kind and helpful, as always. They stopped at the bakery and brought us sandwiches and coffee, and we had lunch together and started the process of catching up. Then the Sparrowhawk went to take a nap, and the other two found this an attractive notion and eventually found places to lie down for awhile. I took advantage of the opportunity to finish making potato salad, snap green beans, and mix up the pie crust for the cherry pie the Sparrowhawk requested as a birthday treat.

I wouldn't have minded a nap myself, after a slightly frustrating morning. I needed some things from the grocery store, and planned to dash quickly over to my usual place in the Village. But every possible route to that goal was blocked by barricades, police cars, and throngs of people on bicycles. I found out later that they were having a triathlon. Apparently I didn't get that memo. So I said pfui, I'll zip across town and go to the fruit market. That worked out fine in the end, but it took longer and was more irritating to avoid all the barricades. As I was coming home, they were slowly removing most of the obstacles, and I had to go to the other grocery store anyway, because that's where the pharmacy is, and I had to pick up a prescription. So I was already too hot and in too big a hurry!

The Sparrowhawk had certain things he was hoping to do for his birthday. One of them was to take a walk on a nearby campus where we used to stroll in the good old days before strolling became so difficult. When everyone woke up, we drove over there and parked nearby, and had a pretty successful walk. We got ousted once, because a wedding party wanted to take photos where we were sitting. And then a surly youth threw a casual rock in our direction, missing Tron but earning a baleful glare from the Lumberjack. And when we got home, everyone needed ice water. But overall, it was a triumph for the Sparrowhawk. Not only that, but even after the walk, he succeeded in grilling steak for us, as well as some skewers of peppers and cherry tomatoes that Tron put together. We had a picnic dinner at the outside tables, with steak, potato salad, green beans, mushrooms with cilentro, sweet corn, lettuce with radishes and cucumbers, grilled peppers, and more sliced tomatoes. The only problem was making a taste of everything fit on the plates.

The pie crust dough was chilling in the refrigerator, but the timing was off for baking it just then. We went inside and played a game of Clue while eating a little ice cream with candles stuck in it. The Diva joined us by phone to sing the birthday song. And the Sparrowhawk won the game. His analytical skills still reign supreme. Tron and the Lumberjack retired to a hotel room for the night, because our hospitality is suboptimal until the basement is back in order.

So that was three of the Sparrowhawk's birthday wishes: walk, steak, and game. In the morning, we fulfilled another one: a great breakfast with bacon and eggs and hash browns. Tron and the Lumberjack took a post-prandial walk, and then Tron took her dad to the hardware store. He wanted to look at pocket knives. They came home with a special edition in an edelweiss pattern, with an amazing array of functions for such a tiny device: blade, scissors, nail file, tweezers, and toothpick! So that was another birthday wish gratified. While we were waiting for the guests to reappear in the morning, I had quickly rolled out the piecrust and put the pie in the oven. So we wound up the morning with a flourish: lunch outside, concluded with the Sparrowhawk's final wish, birthday cherry pie. When I first cut the pie, I was very sad, because the interior was runny and not at all the proper consistency. But as it has cooled, it has solidified into something more closely resembling a proper pie shape, so I will call it success. After our guests left, it was potluck day, and we could theoretically have had time to get there. But both of us found ourselves in dire need of a nap. And by the time we were up again, it was too late for the potluck. But not too late for one more long, beautiful evening.

Everyone knows one important feature of this day, so I'd like to point out another: in my neck of the woods, we have witnessed the last sunset after 8 pm for the year. There won't be another one until late March. I am sad about this. I don't like to see the darkness hurrying toward me. I could tell my small tales of the famous anniversary, but I don't feel so inclined. I've been doing my best to avoid the news all day. I did get a call from my old friend Master J in Kansas. For some reason, on this day back in 2001, she called me when she saw what was happening, and we had a conversation about what in tarnation was going on. From time to time, she remembers that, and gives me a memorial call. I miss her, so it was a pleasure to hear from her.

My request that people stop getting sick/dying has gone unheeded, alas. Another old friend has died. Terry lived with us for awhile when we were running a semi-communal household, though we fell out of touch after we moved away. In his later years, he had many health problems and had been in and out of the hospital before entering hospice. He was a genuinely humble and kind soul, always ready to help. The world is poorer for his loss.

This was the one and only day of the week when I had some time to try to clean things up for the Sparrowhawk's birthday and a visit from Tron and the Lumberjack. I had so many things I wanted to do, and got very little actually done. I made four loaves of bread, did some laundry and put away some laundry. But oh my sainted grannies, there is so much MORE that needs doing. I can't seem to hustle myself very much. I'm dragging my feet, and would really like to just hibernate for awhile, but that is not going to happen.