Post 170: Early pressy cheers, a day of rest
Having two wedding anniversaries a year is good news for the child in me & I now have a new TV.
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With daughter-in-law K in the house and up early for this two-day work-style meet & greet she’s down for, when I heard the shower turn on I thought I’d get up myself.
I knew she wanted to pop down the local shop and get herself a bag of snacks for the hotel stay, just in case the veggie food was not up to scratch at the hotel, and I thought I was strong enough to wander with her for a bit of exercise.
As it happened, after a long while waiting — after all my pills and potions and a wet Weetabix for breakfast — I was too sleepy to go. I just lost all my energy again.
There must be a hole in my body somewhere where the energy seeps out. I feel like a self-blown balloon that keeps going down with that irritating invisible hole.
I need a patch on it to keep the little strength I have.
K left me downstairs in front of the lounge TV where I stayed all day, but we did have a nice little chat while she ate her granola and yoghurt pot and arranged for me to pick her up after the presentations are finally over tomorrow afternoon. The plan: a trip to the county town’s Korean restaurant for a dinner out, a little treat for her and me — just as an excuse.
By then my Darling had made me toast and joined the chat. But she was not sure I’d have the energy or stamina to do this quite simple and enjoyable trip and voiced her reservations loudly.
In the end it was left open. I could if I wanted, but it’s not for certain. We all agreed that was the best course of action.
It seems so trivial now, but it was a big part of the day. Making arrangements and looking forward is an essential mental skill to alleviate the glum routines of pills-seat-loo-food-seat-loo-TV-bed.
But better followed when the gripes I had about my recovery room’s ancient TV — with all its greens and purple colours alternating across the dusty old screen — was on my Darlings hit-list.
It’s pretty well given up the ghost.
My Darling dropped K off to her “work” and came back with an itch to get me a new TV.
I was happy with the idea too, but my balloon was empty again and the seat I sat in was too comfortable to move from. But with great gusto she picked up the car keys and set out to town to sort it out.
In less than an hour my Darling arrived back a bit breathless with a smile on her face.
“The man is coming to replace and set up your TV in ten minutes,” she said. I gulped. She excitedly rushed to my chair and gave me a big kiss and hug.
“It’s an early anniversary present for you, I hope you’ll like it.”
I was bowled over — and relieved too that my viewing pleasure could now be upgraded for bedtimes. I hugged back as lovingly as I possibly could and then sat in wait.
The man was here at home for ages. He knew the problem with my health, that I couldn’t help much, and made a huge effort to help both of us in what, for him, was a simple task: a TV set-up. But he eventually went away happy he could do no more. What a star he was.
The rest of the day was taken up by my Darling’s washing-and-drying machine marathon while we either ate or watched TV or both.
I did help my Darling get an email off to D the plumber with all the current choices for the new bathroom and, while she did that with my assistance, I was hunting high and low for a little bar of chilli chocolate I’ve misplaced.
I’m sure I haven’t eaten it yet, and as it was a pressy from Big Sis — she bought it from Hotel Chocolat — I really was looking forward to it. But it’s gone. The squirrel in me has buried it too well and it will be hidden safely for ages, more’s the pity.
Talking of Big Sis, she is also away at work-away-from-work these last two days. She works in a big DIY shop but has the task of going to the big spring and Christmas shows to look at next year’s stock items, in view of stacking their shelves with all the goodies we all love (or hate). So during the day I was getting the odd photo of the displays she’d wandered around.
There were more solar-powered displays than anything else, but she seemed to really enjoy the show and the hotel food she needed to recharge herself with after all the searching and shopping.
But there was still no email back from the oncology department. Boo hoo.
That’s three days and no reply.
Should I feel as bad as I do? Probably not.
I’ll wait now, put it behind me. They will get back to me sometime soon. It’s not fair for me to keep pestering this week. I’ll start again next week. I need a break from the anxiety I’m putting on myself by constantly looking for something that’s not that important, is it?
Anyway, the day ended at bedtime with my anniversary pressy. It is fabulous, this new TV. Everything functions well and the colours are spot on. I’m a lucky man.
It’s three weeks until my Darling has her 60th birthday party down the curry house with 20 friends, and we can’t wait. Her late brother Kev would have preferred her to have the party (it has been decided), and that is a great help in boosting our spirits about his loss too.
What shall I get my Darling for this special day? The TV present is for the retaking of our vows anniversary on her birthday two years ago. We were married 35 years ago on my birthday in the summer — both birthdays are wonderful double celebrations.
Why ever not have two celebrations? I love her dearly, and that’s a fact.
So it wasn’t such a bad day after all.
