Short Synopsis: Kayla is on a steady course. She grows hungrier all the time and she wants her favorite foods and drinks. Nothing more pleasurable than bringing your child what they need and enjoy.
There are still a lot of issues but we take it one day at a time.
Long Story: I wake up early and lie quietly in the bed. Bumpy is jerking in her sleep. Now there is something to enjoy. Bumpy is a constant story-teller, just like me. We have to take turns and we have this great system. We hit the other gently on the arm or we say, "It's my turn!" That is how we try to be fair.
I know what she is doing. She is telling stories in her sleep. Her hands are rising up for emphasis. Her head is swaying back and forth. Oh! She flips to the side. That must be the best part! The climax! The gist! I want to hear her dream!
At 5:30 a.m. I walk out into the Potter back yard. So this is the new family meeting ground. The Tarrytown home has been sold a long time ago. The parents went to Georgia for retirement. Robert moved to New Jersey and he has lived in several houses. This is his finest house.
I see the deck. I know that deck. It is in all the pictures with all the siblings sitting around talking. Funny, I thought it would be on ground level but it is up one flight overlooking the back yard.
I love the early morning. It is quiet and the only sounds are the best ones. I stand to listen. Which is the loudest sound, seeking my attention and study. It is a bird in the bush. He is the loudest. I stand very quietly and try to look in but he sees me and moves about. I want to identify him but he is too smart, too fast. Is he looking for a mate? It's possible but it's late. It's not a youngster - the sound is too practiced. I know. He is annoyed I am in his territory.
There is a train going by below and I cannot see that either. There are very thick woods in the back and that is the place I would rather be, deep in there. The train has the best urgent soothing sound to enjoy. It would be grand to listen to that as you fall asleep each night. I hear a rushing water sound...it must be a river! The woods cover that too.
There are piles of leaves that have been dug out of the flower beds. Robert's wife is in the middle of preparing the garden for its Spring splendor and summer viewing. She has plants ready to put in, but she is off doing a Girl Scout weekend with their daughter, Britta, who is 15.
Neither Bumpy nor I particularly need breakfast so I convince her to go walking in the woods with me after a cup of coffee. She is always game for just about anything. There are paths back there. We take off in a direction to the right. I am searching for the river. I know it will be flowing very fast and hard from all the rains over the past few weeks.
I try to get down to it but it is difficult as I have Lyme Disease right now and my knees hurt. No matter! It was caught early and the three week course of doxycycline antibiotics will wipe it out completely. When you live in the Northeast this is normal fare. Everyone is scared of this spirokete that burrows in your body and causes lots and lots of sickness woes. The trick is to catch it early and then you are as good as gold. It's over when you hammer it early. This is the second time I have had it and each time I have not been affected at all.
This time I was a little foolish. I felt my knee pain and ignored it for a few weeks, knowing full well it was probably Lyme but thinking, well...maybe it is arthritis. I was too busy helping Kayla at the hospital. But...hell...you must take care of yourself if you want to take care of anyone else.
The test said it was borderline and the doctor felt strongly it was a new bite, not a flare-up of the old case from years and years ago.
There we were - Bumpy and me. I went down as far as I could go to the water but there was steep woods and drop-offs. Wasn't going to happen. I even could not go up the hill through the trees to get back quicker. I showed Bumpy that I get down on my butt to navigate harder parts.
Bumpy was the smart one this time. If I made any single wrong move, my live would be over. There would be no survival falling down this slope...
We go back to the path and walk through the woods to the tennis club. We are going to catch a glimpse of Robert in his tennis tournament. There are four courts with many men playing. I see a man with the blue pull-ups on his legs to save the knees, the same ones that Robert pulled up his legs in the morning getting ready.
"There he is...but that looks like a young man. He moves like a young man!" I say to the Bumperoo. We watch for a minute.
"That's not my brother," she remarks.
"Yes it it," I say.
"Which one are you looking at?"
"That one over there, playing singles."
Bumpy scans all the courts. She points her hand to the closest court below.
"That one. That's my brother. The one with the headband. I can tell by the way he moves."
"Oh yeah! I see." Fooled. They both have those blue things on their legs but that other one is playing singles. Robert was supposed to be playing doubles.
Seeing Robert work hard on the court gives me more resolve to get back to my triathlon training. Bumpy and I go for additional walking all through the neighborhood before I take off for the hospital.
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On my way to the hospital. No more being lost in New Jersey. I know what I am doing now. Kayla texts me she wants a skim milk coffee coolata, one of her favorite drinks from Dunkin' Donuts.
I see how many Dunkin' Donuts I can pass before one last one before the George Washington Bridge brings me over the Hudson from New Jersey. It's a beautiful drive from west to east to New York City. Robert lives very close, about 30 minutes away.
Have to keep that frozen drink as frozen as possible. One Dunkin' Donut, two Dunkin' Donut...ok, this third one will have to be it...
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Bumpy and I are very excited about Deirdre's big surprise party. Ty has organized the entire thing and he's prepared many special dishes. The catered food is ready to be served. We all wait quietly.
They bring her up the driveway...her blindfold is securely in place.
SURPRISE! Deirdre is delighted!
Bumpy and I have been planning what clothes we want to wear. We want to have fun giving our best presentation to the world and this is our world - a family party. Everyone has put their gifts on the front bench just inside the front door. Bumpy bought a bunch of gag gifts - geritol, depend diapers for adults, stuff like that. She adds "reader glasses" which magnify everything. She wants those back if Deirdre doesn't need them! Deirdre wants them. What about the rest of the gags?
"Those are for my parents," Deirdre laughs. (Later the next day, Mom would remark, "I don't need that stuff!")
"Those are for my parents," Deirdre laughs. (Later the next day, Mom would remark, "I don't need that stuff!")
I bought Deirdre a nice stylish light turquoise blue tank top with beading in it. I spent more money than I usually do. I am thankful for all the time I am spending nights there and they feed me too! I am known for getting cheap clothing at tag sales and church sales. This time I went to my new hispanic store up on Broadway in NYC, a few blocks north of the hospital, to see what they had. The owner knows me and addresses me personally. She specializes in close-out sales.
I know this top is over the top for Deirdre but I am hopeful she will be interested in it.
When she opens it up, she turns around and gives Jenna, her friend in a white sexy tank top, a cut the throat sign. But Jenna and I make a plan! Jenna will go shopping with Deirdre and find a matching top to put over it if our conservative Deirdre won't wear it. I think the color will bring out her beautiful auburn hair.
If it gathers dust in the Deirdre's closet, I say Jenna can wear it! It would look good on her too!
Bumpy and I grow tired early. It's 10:30 and I am to follow her car with my car back to Robert's across the river. As we go to leave all of Deirdre's friends are gearing up. They are outside on the stone patio, in the dark, sitting, roaming, drinking, telling stories.
All of the rest of the family have left for their own homes. Deirdre and Ty's children and my parents are asleep in the back of the house. We walk through the laughter...
"Look at this Bumpy! Wish I was younger. I feel old. Can't keep up with this 40-somethings crowd."
Love stories, oh God, do I love stories! But have to go to bed...
