Easy does it
I have already mentioned that it's hard getting back in to the work mode - in fact, you're tired of hearing it now. But I have to say, having a 3-day weekend the first weekend after returning from holiday is either really smart or really stupid. Hey, it's Tuesday after the Monday holiday - too early to tell yet, but definitely nicer to ease in to things - hope I get in the zone soon - some customers are getting whingey.So, my 3-day weekend:
Mom sent me the Julia Child book My Life in France. It was the perfect distraction for me - as I wasn't in the mood to go out. I had plans to catch-up on things at home and have a friend over for a nice summery supper one night over the weekend. I managed to get it all done while still devouring Julia's book.
Julia's first experience with France was in Normandy and it remained one of her most-loved places in the world. I can so relate to what she experienced there. I can relate to setting up her kitchen as a first priority each time she moved. The joy when the best fish monger recognises you and accepts you as a cook who knows what she is doing.
I had a good friend over for pretty mediocre pesto Sunday evening (if I do say so myself - it was the most garlicky pesto I have ever made)and a nice summery salad of lambs lettuce (salad de ble), fresh roquette, baby yellow plum tomatoes and a white balsamic vinaigrette. A very nice Camembert from Calvados which was just about to ripen to the point where it could walk out the door on it's own - but absolutely delicious. My friend seemed to enjoy dinner. As our dinner progressed he told me that his father had died of esophageal cancer and my heart sank in to deep despair. However, the details of his father's illness make it sound like a completely different disease than my father's. His father was 56, smoked and drank heavily, and did not see a doctor until is cancer had metastasized and was well beyond stage 5 and a cure.
My dad is 84 and cancer grows extremely slowly in older people. He also caught this in stage 2. He never, ever smoked - or drank in excess - and didn't drink at all for the last 5 years. So forgive me if I dismiss that conversation - It's not the same thing and it's not hopeless.
Dad had a rough start to the weekend, still suffering severe runny tummy and unable to get anything down his esophagus. Losing weight at 2-3 lbs a day. But the hospital and staff are taking great care of him.
By yesterday (Monday) he had eaten half a slice of bacon and 1/4 of his pancakes for breakfast. A major coup when he's eaten nothing solid for a week!! He has devoured as much soft ice cream as he could bribe someone to get him - he's not allowed to have it - it makes his runny tummy worse but he loves it.
Mom and I agreed to get worried if he didn't have a daily list of 20 things to bring from home to his hospital room. Yesterday he wanted all of the papers and magazines(because he is a news junkie) , he wanted all sorts of radios, ear plugs, gadgets and of course, Sakajaweah silver dollars to give to Nurses, orderlies, and candy stripers who are nice to him. Dad had struck up a conversation with a nurse from St. Sebastian in The Basque area and wanted Mom to bring in brochures of where they had visited and dined when there a couple of years ago.
Mom had brought him a beautiful rose stem from the rose bush in front of their house. It had 5 or 6 beautiful peachy, tea rose blossoms on it and he gave blossoms away to his favourite nurses. He made sure his Hungarian doctor knew I was part Hungarian and that famous Hungarian Artist Paul Tacazs was my god father. (The Doctor was impressed).
He's eating bit by bit. He's asking everyone where they are originally from, he's talking about what makes for major headlines in the news and complaining about the number and repetitiveness of commercials on network TV. All in all - still Dad. His stomach is better but he has the worst hiccoughs he's ever had. Going on a few days of them and he's getting pretty fed up with those.
In between hiccough stutters, We chatted about Bush, Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Somalia. I told him I was reading the Julia Child book that they had sent me in the mail. He said he knew her husband Paul Child quite well in USIA. I never knew that.
All in all, I think the prayers are working :-))
Now - he and I need to just ease back in to things. He needs to ease in to getting stronger and getting some exercise and getting home. I need to ease in to helping these customers who freak over every tiny issue and lend a sense of calm cool collected-ness to the situation. Yeah right.
Thanks to the wonderful, thoughtful, caring friends who have sent me text messages or e-mails to lend support and to make contact. I appreciate it.
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 9:06 AM
<< Home