Side by Side at the Nail Salon

January 30, 2012

On the agenda for Monday:  side by side pedicures.  Yes, retirement has made it possible for us to incorporate this romantic ritual into our relationship.  It’s not as strange as it may sound.  Elliott has been going for regular pedicures much longer than I have.  It’s not because he’s vain.  Rather, it’s because his fossilized toenails require industrial strength nail clippers that only salons seem to have.  I’m a relative neophyte when it comes to pedicures.  Elisa convinced me to have my first one a couple of years ago when we took a family vacation to Las Vegas.  The most exciting part for me is choosing a color from the array of nail polishes.  It allows me to be daring, but in a subtle way.  Today, I selected a vivid shade of fuschia.  For Elliott, I suggested a suitably masculine shade of blue, in anticipation of our barefoot strolls on the sandy Florida beaches.  Not unexpectedly, he declined.  At least we can now check pedicures off the list.  The preparations for our trip are rolling right along.  After the pedicures, I bought enough 85% cocoa chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s to last for 3 weeks.  (I calculated a modest 1 square per person per night.) 

I'm in Love!

January 29, 2012 – I’m in love!

I’ve made a startling discovery:  I love winter.  Yes, after years of dreading this season, I find that I’m enjoying it tremendously.  This newfound love has made me giddy, in fact.  I walked outside this morning during the first hour of daylight and drew the crisp, cold air deep into my lungs.  The rising sun anointed the bare branches and painted the sky the most tender shade of blue.  Joyful birdsong beckoned me to come out and play.  Winter used to be a playground bully that kept me huddled inside, but no more.  After breakfast, I could hardly wait to go back out.  Forty degrees, and a light breeze seemed delightful.  With my newly-knitted scarf (shades of red) snug around my neck, I set off to do a round of errands, including picking up packing boxes for Elisa’s move.  Ah, it’s great to be in love with winter.  (Elliott, please don't be jealous.)

Elisa's Big Surprise

January 28, 2012

Elisa’s Big Surprise

What a day!  Elliott and I played an important part in the elaborate plan to bring Elisa to the site of her surprise farewell brunch.  This is her last weekend in DC before moving to NYC.  Lauren, her good friend since high school days, decided less than a week ago to organize today’s big event and she was adamant about keeping the plans secret.  Our role included inviting Elisa to meet us at noon at the Smithsonian American Art Museum to see the new Annie Liebovitz exhibit.  After that, we had to convince her to join us for brunch at the Beacon Bar and Grill.  Well, that part wasn’t hard since Elisa is the Queen of Brunch.  But the tricky part was the timing, which we had to get absolutely right so that all of the guests were assembled in the restaurant before we arrived.  I guess we were convincing enough because Elisa didn’t suspect anything unusual.  When we got to the restaurant and she saw so many of her friends (and Christian, who took the train down from New York) waiting for her, she was overwhelmed.  Lauren had prepared a beautiful photo collage that included photos from all phases of Elisa’s life, going back to her early childhood in Fayence.  We celebrated with champagne, mimosas, and the usual brunch fare.  Lauren’s homemade cupcakes were a special treat.  It has been wonderful having Elisa so close by for the past few years, but we understand that she’s ready to move on.  She has a wonderful sense of adventure and she’s very excited about living in Manhattan with Christian.  Of course, we plan to visit her often!  

Thoughts on Pain

January 28, 2012

Thoughts on Pain

As we age, our encounters with pain become more and more prominent in our lives.  There may be times when we’re relatively pain-free, but we knew that pain will return at some point so those painless times have a special sweetness.  Elliott is the first to admit that he’s been lucky as far as pain is concerned.  The pain related to the degeneration of his spine didn’t interfere with his life until he was in his late eighties.  And even when the pain became severe enough to limit his activities, he refused to let it color his outlook on life.  For the past year or so, it has been an almost constant companion.  However, there are still moments and even hours when the pain temporarily and inexplicably subsides.  For example, last night we went down the street to a little celebration (a birthday, a retirement, the weekend) with neighbors.  From 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., Elliott sat on a sofa, drinking Coca Cola and eating hors d’oeuvres, without any pain.  However, when he got up to leave, his back pain returned, and it was so intense that he got into bed as soon as we returned to the house.  There wasn’t anything we could do except hope that the next morning, the pain would be gone.  These cycles are something he will continue to live with, and they bring to mind some words of Karen Blixen, the 20^th century Danish writer whose pseudonym was Isak Dinesen.  Back during the 1980s, during the time we lived in France, I read a biography of Isak Dinesen – Isak Dinesen:  The Life of a Storyteller, by Judith Thurman.  I don’t remember too many details of this excellent book, but one phrase, about the cessation of pain, has stuck in my mind for all these years.  I actually went to the library and found a copy of the book a few days ago so I could find the exact reference.  According to Thurman, Karen Blixen called the cessation of pain the first of life’s three perfect joys.  I just hope that Elliott will experience more of this joy. 

So why are we going to Florida????

January 27, 2012

I’m super-energized after my AHS visit.  I brought some sweet treats for my former students because I like to introduce them to foods they may not be familiar with.  Today, it was vanilla meringues, courtesy of Trader Joe’s.  The students were intrigued when they saw them, and pleasantly surprised when they bit into them.  That’s what I was hoping for.  When you put a cloud-like meringue in the palm of your hand and look at its delicate swirls, you have no idea how delightfully it will melt in your mouth, how its flavors will unfurl.  And I just watched while they experienced this for the first time. 

On my way home, the sun punched through the clouds.  The freshly laundered colors of sky and brick and holly bush shone – at least temporarily.   But there’s Mozart’s Piano Concerto #23 playing on the car radio, so my spirits are high.  (By the way, Happy Birthday, Wolfgang.)  I can’t wait to get home and eat.  One great thing about retirement is eating according to my stomach’s needs rather than according to a bell schedule.  However, I already know what I’m having for lunch today – feijoada – day 4 – groan.  I can’t bear the thought of wasting food.  I wonder if the birds would like it, or if I could feed it to the neighbor’s dog. 

Speaking of food, I made a red lentil and roasted garlic mixture that I’m bringing to our neighborhood happy hour later today.  It was super-easy and super-flavorful.  Let me know if you want the recipe.  

And finally, it’s 64 degrees outside – so why are we going to Florida????  It's clearly not because of the weather. 

Thunder in January

 

January 27, 2012 – January Thunder

Up early, awakened by the clatter of some form of precipitation – hail, sleet, freezing rain, perhaps?  It was a little after six o’clock.  Would school be cancelled, or would there be a delayed opening?  Old habits die hard.  Just thinking of a “snow day” got my adrenal flowing.  I scurried out from under the covers, rushed to the television and turned on channel 21, the FCPS station, hoping to see the announcement running across the bottom of the screen.  But, no, there was nothing.  And when I looked out the window, I was a little disappointed to see plain, ordinary rain falling.  Over the next few minutes, it gradually tapered to a fine drizzle, so I dashed out to pick up the newspaper.  The temperature was about 60 degrees, which is very strange for this time of year.  The rain returned with a vengeance about an hour later – along with crashes of thunder, which is quite bizarre for January.  It’s dismal-looking, but quiet, out there now.  At least the weather won’t interfere with my morning plans to visit a couple of my former classes at Annandale High.  Kari, my long-term sub, has kindly agreed to let me barge into her classroom.  I’ll try not to be too disruptive. 

What Day Is It?

January 26, 2012

We were out driving around yesterday when Elliott turned to me and said, “I don’t know what day it is anymore because everyday feels like Saturday because I’m going someplace with you.  Everyday is Saturday now.”  Well, yesterday was a special day for another reason.  It was Elliott’s 99 and 2/3 birthday!  Only four more months until the big 100, but we believe in more frequent celebrations.  We went out for a Japanese hibachi lunch after a fascinating and very informative morning program at Beth El on the history of Ellis Island.  In the afternoon, Elliott bought himself a new man-bag as a gift.  It’s actually a handy shoulder bag that he can use on the upcoming trip for his Kindle, cellphone, wallet, magnifying glass – basically the necessities he’ll need to carry everyday.  The previous day, I’d bought him a present at REI:  a bright red Swiss Army knife.  He had fun popping the air-filled plastic packaging pouches that came in the Amazon shipment yesterday.  Birthdays are so much fun, whether you’re 9 or 99!  

Lost!

January 25, 2012

Lost!  Former AHS ESOL teacher has vanished from FCPS cyberspace.  Yes, that’s right.  Without any warning, my FCPS email account was expunged from the system.  I made this disturbing discovery on Sunday, January 22, three weeks after my official retirement.  Why the delay?  And why not some advance notice, please?  These questions will undoubtedly go unanswered.  So if any of my FCPS colleagues are trying to reach me, please use Facebook or my personal email:  robinbthompson@verizon.net. 

In the meantime, I’m trying to deal with this loss of identity.  It will be a struggle, I assure you.  In my mind, I’m still an AHS ESOL teacher and I always will be.  In fact, later this week, I’m planning to go to school and visit some of “my” classes and attend our department’s lunch meeting.  I saw an article in the newspaper today that I wanted to share with “my” students.  Wow, I really, really miss the classroom.  Those feelings have just surged back when I thought I was adjusting to retirement so well. 

Shopping with Elliott

 

January 24, 2012 – The Shopping Day from Hell

Elliott did a survey of his wardrobe recently and decided that he needed some new “leisure” attire to wear while we’re in Florida.  I’ll warn you right now, shopping trips with Elliott are torturous exercises.  When he goes shopping, he always has always a very specific idea about what he wants and he is almost impossible to satisfy.  This is his modus operandi:  First, grab hold of a shopping cart.  Wheel it up to the first store employee you see and give a brief description of what you’re looking for.  Don’t let the employee’s blank stare faze you.  Then, pushing your cart perilously close to anyone who has the misfortune to be in your way, walk off in the direction of the area that might have what you’re looking for.  Disappear from view so that your wife spends several minutes trying to locate you.  When she finds you, dismiss 80% of the items she helpfully suggests you might want to try.  Don’t consider anything that features the manufacturer’s logo.  Don’t consider anything that isn’t black or gray.  Make sure nothing navy blue accidentally sneaks in.  Once you have a few items in the cart, go off in search of a fitting room.  Make sure your fashion consultant (your wife) stays within shouting distance so you can model each item.  Complain about how the pants and sleeves are always too long.  Send your wife out at least twice to get different sizes of what you’re trying.  If something seems to fit, find another reason to reject it.  For example, the black jacket and the black pants are different shades of black.  Or maybe you’ve just changed your mind about what you really wanted.

One day last week, we made an unsuccessful attempt to find an appropriate leisure outfit at a sporting goods store called Dick’s.  This morning, we spent about an hour in Sports Authority and, once again, came out empty-handed.   So if you happen to see a nice pair of charcoal gray sweat pants (size large, not heavy-weight, not medium-weight, but light-weight, with pockets, no stripes down the side, no elastic at the bottom) and a matching jacket (identical shade of gray, identical weight, size medium, zipper all the way down the front, with pockets, preferably no hood), please let us know.  I’ll drive us to wherever it is, and Elliott will find a reason why it doesn’t fit his requirements. 

But the day got better after our Sports Authority outing.  We grazed our way through Costco (chocolate chip granola bars, provolone cheese, artichoke-garlic spread on crackers, whole wheat pasta spirals with marinara sauce, all washed down with apple juice) and made a major discovery in the cookie aisle – a super-sized box of Nabisco honey graham crackers.  That alone was worth the trip.  At that point, it was after 12:30, and despite the nibbles in Costco, I still had hunger pangs.  Fortunately, Wegman’s is right on the way home.  I loaded up a container with tofu salad and a variety of veggies while Elliott ordered a giant slice of pizza.  We were back home in time to enjoy a nice long walk through the neighborhood on this spring-like January afternoon. 

Dinner in Brazil Tonight!

 

January 23, 2012 – Dinner in Brazil

I whipped up some Brazilian magic in the kitchen tonight.  The sweet potato and black bean stew is a vegetarian version of the national dish, feijoada.  I found the recipe in a cookbook by Nava Atlas.  She suggests serving the colorful vegetable mixture over tomato infused brown rice.  Kale sautéed in olive oil with slivered garlic was the perfect accompaniment.  It was delicious, and healthy, too.  But Elliott wasn’t even tempted to try it.  Instead, his dinner consisted of Genoa salami, pain de campagne (country French bread), and a mesclun salad.   At least I’m getter smarter about quantities when I cook.  I cut the feijoada recipe in half so I won’t be eating the same dinner four nights in a row. 

Getting Retirement Right

January 23, 2012 - Retirement the way it should be

I think I’m finally starting to get retirement right.  The gentle rhythm of the day has carried us along with no sense of rush or stress.  The sky remained white, the colors subdued.  When we went outside earlier, we dodged drips from the bare tree branches.   Now it’s early afternoon, and we’ve already accomplished what we set out to do today.  AAA had the Florida information we needed.  Afterwards, we picked up a few items at Target, including graham crackers.  (Elliott must have a secret stash of them somewhere in the house.)  Home again for lunch by candlelight – eggs fried in olive oil and dusted with smoked paprika, served alongside deconstructed guacamole.  We shared a blood orange, listened to Mozart and Dvorak on the radio.  It doesn’t get much better than this. 

Misty Monday morning

 

January 23, 2012

Misty Monday morning.  Eight o’clock already, but no sun in sight.  I go out for the newspaper and delicate droplets of moisture tickle my face.  Water oozes from beneath the thin layer of ice covering the grass.  A mysterious hush fills the air.  For a few moments, I’m transported to another world.  I expect a knight in silvery armor to come riding out of the woods on horseback.  He’ll swoop me up and ….

Anyway, back inside the house again, feeling relaxed after a good 8 hours of sleep even though I stayed up to watch the entire Giants vs. 49’ers game last night.  I didn’t really care who won.  It was just a treat to be able to stay up late on a school night, something I couldn’t have done in my pre-retirement days. 

We kept track of Elliott’s pain yesterday but it was impossible to see any connection between his activities and his pain level.  I’m happy to report that the pain in my neck is finally subsiding. And with less than two weeks before our departure for Florida, Elliott and I will be heading over to the local AAA office today for maps and tourbooks.  We welcome suggestions about places to visit, restaurants to try, etc. in St. Augustine, Winter Park, St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area. 

Celebrating Retirement

January 22, 2012

I had such a good time at my retirement party today that I think I’ll go back to work so I can retire again!  I don’t know where to begin describing the wonderful celebration with my past and present AHS ESOL (and library) colleagues and Elliott and Elisa.  The Sunshine Committee did a superb job picking the venue.  Zaytinia belongs to the restaurant group established by Chef José Andres.  The décor (mostly white with blue accents) brings to mind a sun-drenched Mediterranean island.  I adore the menu, which features mezze (small plates) inspired by the cuisines of Greece, Turkey and the Middle East.  We enjoyed all of the food but I’ll mention a few of the highlights:  the fried eggplant with roasted garlic-yogurt sauce; the sautéed shrimp with dill, shallots, mustard, and lemon juice; and the roasted cauliflower with sultanas, caper berries, and pine nuts. 

What made this experience so special was being with my friends from AHS.  When we’re together, I truly feel like I’m with family.  They presented me with a beautifully crafted scrapbook of letters from colleagues and students.  Cindy, you are very talented and I’m so grateful to you for creating this gift and to everyone who contributed to it.  And I was thrilled with the surprise present I received – a Kindle Fire!  I plan to spend some time today learning how to use all the exciting features.  To all of you who were there yesterday (and for those of you who wanted to be there but were unable to come), thank you with all my heart for your love and support.  You will continue to be a big part of my life. 

Otherwise, I think I mentioned four or five days ago the pain I was having – a pain in the neck (literally).  I thought it would be gone by now, but instead, those steely fingers haven’t released their grip.  The pain seems to ping-pong from one side of my neck to the other, except at times when it attacks both left and right simultaneously.  It’s nearly impossible to rest my neck during the day.  It has to work hard holding up my head all the time.  The only time my neck gets to take a break is when I go to bed at night.  And even then, the pain when I change positions interferes with my sleep.  Does anyone have any suggestions for ways to alleviate this condition?

But it’s Elliott’s health that remains our major preoccupation, due not only to the severity of his pain, but also its unpredictable changeability.  Occasionally, he’ll marvel that he’s pain-free for no discernable reason.  We always hope it will last, but the pain inevitably returns.  I’ve asked him to keep track of his pain throughout the day, to try to give his doctors some clue about what triggers the worst episodes and what brings relief.  So far, he hasn’t taken my suggestion.  I realize, of course, that keeping a pain journal would be a full-time job.  I think I’ll try to do that today since we both plan to spend most of the day at home. 

Winter Arrives - Bad Timing

Reporting from Fairfax, shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday.

We woke to a world of white – a delicate dusting of snow, frosted with ice.  And ice is not nice when you have to go into DC for your own retirement party.  Yes, the ESOL department Sunshine Committee chose one of my favorite restaurants, Zaytinia, for our celebration.  We have to be downtown at Zaytinia at 1:00.  Logistics planning took up the first hour of the morning.  Are the roads drivable?  What’s the forecast?  Is the Metro running?  Are there delays on the Metro? (stupid question – this is the weekend, so of course there are delays on the Metro.)  Where are the parking garages near the restaurant?  What’s going on at the nearby Verizon Center today?  Well, it turns out there is a Georgetown Hoyas basketball game at 12 at the Verizon Center so parking options in the vicinity of Zaytinia will be severely limited.  Metro seems like the safer bet.  Check back later for a report. 

Ready for the big benefit concert tonight!

January 20, 2012

Thinking of yesterday – those poor brownies just weren’t destined for the bake sale table.  But they were still strewn over the top of the trash, staring at me, beseeching me, when I went into the kitchen to make breakfast this morning.  It took all of my willpower not to retrieve them.  But I was strong.  I conquered my gluttonous desires.  However, the baking pan with brownie crumbs was still sitting on the counter, and I cleaned it out pretty well before I put it in the sink.  Even one little dried out crumb was bursting with that chocolate-raspberry flavor.  But I must put this out of my mind. 

One advantage of retirement is that I can see Katie (my mother) on weekdays rather than squeezing these visits into a packed weekend schedule.  So that was my first outing today.  But what were all those cars doing on the road at 10:30 in the morning?  Why weren’t those people at work?  And that woman in a lavender jacket, walking a dog through the neighborhood – she looked perfectly capable of working.  Are all of these people fellow retirees?  Are there that many of us? 

Another one of today’s errands was to go out to Wegman’s and buy something for the bake sale.  I returned from the store about an hour ago, and I must report that I learned a very valuable lesson from this experience:  avoid shopping at Wegman’s at lunchtime on a Friday.  It was slightly less crowded than it usually is on a Saturday or Sunday, but there was a mob of shoppers intent on stocking up for the weekend.  Or maybe the store was so crowded today because there is a forecast for a “wintry mix” tonight and into early tomorrow morning.  In the DC suburbs, that’s enough to send otherwise sane adults into a buying frenzy.

Of course, while I was at Wegman’s, I had to have a bite to eat before I shopped.  Asian summer rolls (shrimp and avocado), a portabella mushroom “pizza” (tomatoes and cheese stuffed into the giant mushroom cap), and sautéed Brussels sprouts are now mingling happily in my belly.  Once I’d satiated my hunger, I found some generously sized white chocolate chunk cookies that should be just right for the bake sale.  I had a few items on my grocery list, but I have to admit to a couple of impulse purchases as well.  That cute little green knife with the Japanese blade and its very own sheath will undoubtedly come in handy during our travels.  I can see us now, cutting an apple into wedges as we sit on a park bench in St. Petersburg.  And those matching yoga socks and gloves will allow me to launch into a yoga routine whenever and wherever the mood strikes – on the Metro platform, in the airport security line, in the waiting room of the doctor’s office.  It’s amazing what you can find at Wegman’s.  Seriously, though, I promise to work on my shopping behavior now that I’ve slashed my income. 

I’d better go take a nap now because I have to be back at Annandale High in a couple of hours for the STAND benefit concert. 

Another day, another doctor's appointment and a kitchen disaster

Another day, another doctor’s appointment.  Two days ago, Elliott went to our primary care physician and had the wax chiseled out of his ears.  Today, we had to return to the doctor because Elliott seems to be suffering from some kind of gastrointestinal virus and a urinary tract infection – both at the same time.  It’s nothing very serious, but as you can imagine, he’s not feeling very perky.  At least he’s on an antibiotic now and that should clear up the infection quickly.  And we’re hoping the GI virus will be of short duration. 

Warning – the following story contains disturbing images.  It started innocently enough.  I went into the kitchen around 5:00 this afternoon to bake a batch of brownies.  Now, I wouldn’t normally be baking something as decadent as brownies, but I promised to bring them in for the bake sale that we’re having at tomorrow’s STAND benefit concert.  Although I have a lot of cooking experience, I haven’t done much baking so I decided to use a mix.  The one I chose was a national brand and it seemed simple enough.  Stir the mix with oil, water and a couple of eggs; put it in the buttered baking pan; bake half an hour and cool.  I should mention that to make the brownies extra-special, I added some raspberry preserves, just a little, to the batter.  (The only thing better than chocolate is chocolate with raspberries.) 

The batter looked beautiful in the pan when it went into the oven.  The kitchen was soon filled with a mouth-watering aroma.  When I took the pan out of the oven, those brownies looked so good and they smelled divine.  I was certain everyone would be raving about them tomorrow.  But, alas, that was before I tried to remove them from the pan. 

I referred to the directions on the box for guidelines on how to cut the brownies.  I set out all of my cooling racks.  I drew lines through the semi-cooled brownies with my best metal spatula.  Very gently, I inserted the spatula at the edge of the pan and pushed it along the bottom so I could lift out the first brownie.  So far, there was no sign of trouble.  But when I went to slide the brownie onto the rack, it refused to budge.  I had no choice but to lift it off with my hand – and the bottom half of the brownie, still gooey and slightly warm, remained on the spatula.  Well, I couldn’t use the spatula again until I cleaned it off.  You can probably guess where the bottom half of the brownie ended up.  If you guessed in my tummy, you’re right.  I couldn’t let all of that deliciousness go to waste.  Now repeat the previous procedure a few times, and you get the idea. 

I was starting to feel slightly sick from all the chocolate I’d eaten, so before I continued with the de-panning, I did a critical survey of the five brownies sitting on the rack.  They were grossly misshapen.  Dejectedly, I picked at a corner of one and then another, and popped the pieces into my mouth.  Delicious, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to bring them in for the bake sale.  To console myself, I ate a little more.  And then, I decided that I would have to take drastic action.  Without saying a word to Elliott, who was sitting less than fifteen feet away, I walked over to the trash, and mercilessly dumped all of the brownies in.  It’s a terrible world, where only perfect brownies survive.

January 18 - Time to Slow Down

Maybe it’s time to slow down a little bit.  I was out of the house most of the day and I was out most of the evening, too.  First, it was an active retirees program at our temple this morning.  We learned about “egg creams,” a beverage that contains neither eggs nor cream.  It seems to have originated in Brooklyn, New York in the late 1800s and was very popular in the Jewish immigrant community.  I’ve heard of egg creams, but I’d never sampled one.  And I didn’t want to sample one today, once I found out what it is:  milk, chocolate syrup and seltzer water.  Carbonated chocolate milk doesn’t sound very appetizing to me. 

After the program, Elliott and I did a few errands.  The most important task was to replenish our supply of graham crackers before we ran out of them completely.  In fact, we bought two boxes to placate the resident cookie monster (aka Elliott).  I had a quick lunch, and then went into school for the 2:00 STAND meeting.  On the way out, I made the mistake of stopping into the ESOL workroom and asking Leslie if there was anything I could do to help.  Well, of course, she managed to find a job for me to do.  By the time I left, it was 4:00 and I was starving again.  But I hadn’t exercised in the morning, so before I ate anything, I took a 20-minute walk through the woods while there was still some light.  We had a quick dinner and then I went over to my neighbor’s house for a play reading.  I only lasted halfway through Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? before I started to fade.  It wasn’t even 9:00, but I felt like I’d crammed enough activities into one day. 

Maybe I’m so afraid of being a “do-nothing” retiree that I’m over-scheduling and over-committing myself.  I’ve been officially retired for two and a half weeks and I feel like every day is a competition to see how much I can do.  I have to remind myself that this isn’t winter break or summer break, but the rest of my life and I don’t have to do everything right away.  I’ll have to think through this tomorrow because I’m too tired to do any more thinking now. 

January 17 - A Good News Day

It looked like a dismal morning when I headed off to the gym but the sky was brightening by the time I finished my workout.  And there’s good news to report from Elliott:  taking his hydrocone every 3-4 hours seems to keep his pain under control throughout the day.  Of course, there are the occasional aches and twinges that we both experience.  It’s so shockingly easy to strain a muscle by doing ordinary activities.  My neck has been bothering me for the past couple of days, and I’m almost certain it’s because I loaded a heavy grocery bag into the deep trunk of our geezermobile (thanks for the car, Mom) rather than placing it on the back seat.

Lunch out, dinner at home.  We went back to Choices by Shawn in Fairfax City for some of their really good home-style cooking.  Since I hardly ever cook meat, Elliott took advantage of the opportunity to order meatloaf.  He finished up with coconut cake and blackberry chocolate chip ice cream.  Sometimes I wish I could eat the way he does!  But I tried to be good, and I was perfectly content with my grilled veggie sandwich and a taste of his dessert.  For dinner, I made a super simple recipe for cauliflower and chick pea soup.  I thought it was delicious, but Elliott turned it down in favor of bread, butter, Norwegian goat cheese, and herring.  Vive la difference!

And finally, a confession – my Spanish homework is still sitting on my desk, untouched, and I predict that it will not be done before I go to bed tonight.

MLK Day

January 16, 2012

I’m almost too tired to write this tonight.  I set my alarm to ring at 6:30 this morning (that used to be late when I was working – now it’s early).  One of the reasons I’m exhausted is that I didn’t sleep very well last night.  I was thinking about how Elliott would manage, keeping himself occupied in DC for several hours.  Fortunately, as soon as I woke up, he informed me that he was going to stay home today because he had “a lot of work to do.”  I can’t tell you how relieved I was with his decision! 

I was surprised to see so many volunteers when I arrived at the Harriet Tubman Elementary School for the community service project.  I’d guess that there were close to 100 people there.  I chose to do one of the indoor activities since the temperatures were only in the 30s and there was a chilly wind blowing.  My assignment was to label books in a teacher’s classroom library according to their reading level.  The three hours went pretty quickly and I rewarded myself with a slice of pizza from Pete’s A-Pizza (New Haven style, a veggie slice with a perfectly charred thin crust) before I got on the Metro to return to Virginia. 

Good night! 

Elliott - a status report

January 15, 2012

Sunday afternoon – cold, but sunny.  Elliott is sitting in front of the television in the family watching the football game (Baltimore vs. Houston) and I’m keeping him company as I write.  I don’t generally attempt to multi-task, but following this football game shouldn’t require more than a minimal amount of my attention.  Here’s an update on Elliott:  in his own words, he’s still “99 – and doing fine!”   However, he’s still struggling to find a way to reduce or eliminate his chronic back pain.   The only time he seems to be completely comfortable is when he’s lying down, and Elliott doesn’t want to spend his days in bed.   Several months ago, he started going to a pain specialist.  This was after he’d visited an orthopedist, and after he’d tried exercise, physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic care.  The pain specialist gave him various kinds of injections (facet joint and epidural) but the results were disappointing.  In addition, Elliott just increased the strength and frequency of his oral pain medication.  Until a couple of days ago, he was reluctant to take his pain medication more often than once every 12 hours.  He is now willing to take it every 4 hours, so we’ll soon see if this makes a significant difference in his comfort level. 

In spite of dealing with pain, Elliott remains very positive and fairly active.   He’s at the computer several times a day, checking e-mail, doing research, or playing solitaire.  As I previously mentioned, he does jobs around the house – not the routine laundry, dishes, or cooking, but the occasional special projects.  He still enjoys roaming the aisles of the hardware store.  I’m certain he’ll soon be accumulating all of the information he needs to start working on our tax returns.  About once a week, he goes out for lunch with a group of long-time friends. 

Speaking of lunch, it’s good that I’m home to supervise Elliott’s lunches now.  In pre-retirement days, his lunch consisted of bread, butter, cheese, a glass of milk, and peach yogurt (only 1 brand was acceptable, and that was available at only 1 store).  For occasional variety, he would ask me to purchase cottage cheese.  I was tempted to give him a cow for his birthday.  But now I’ve weaned him from his dependence on dairy by offering him alternatives such as peanut butter, eggs, tuna, sardines, and apple or tomato juice.  I’ve even managed to get him to switch to plain Greek yogurt (to which he adds Bonne Maman cherry preserves, an old favorite from our days in France).  He still likes to have a bowl of ice cream after dinner a few times a week, and that’s okay.  By the time a person is this close to the century mark, he should be allowed to eat whatever he wants. 

Elliott’s looking forward to more travel and he loves our outings into DC.  However, I’m not thrilled that he’s planning to go into DC tomorrow (Martin Luther King Day).  Let me explain.  The University of Wisconsin (my undergrad school) Alumni Association has organized a day of service projects for January 16.  I volunteered to participate in a project at an elementary school in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in DC.  When I told Elliott I was going in to do this, he said he’d like to go into the district with me and spend a few hours on his own.  I said I didn’t think it was a good idea and mentioned my concerns (use of walker, stamina, hearing, vision, etc.).  To Elliott, I probably sounded like an overly protective mother, and he clearly doesn’t want to be treated as a child.  So I defer to his judgment in this matter.   We’ll be taking the Metro into DC shortly after breakfast on Monday.       

Looking forward to a snow day?

Is Today a Snow Day?

Back in my teaching days, I always looked forward to at least one good snow day each winter.  Even though I’m no longer teaching, I still feel that I deserve the occasional snow day.  So I’m going to declare a snow day very soon.  The fact that there’s no snow in the forecast doesn’t deter me.  Actually, snow is not required for a snow day.  All that’s necessary is the resolve to stay in your bathrobe or PJs and not leave the house for the entire day.  J  Drinking hot chocolate, building a fire in the fireplace, and taking a nap all are part of the snow day ritual.  If you require an exercise break, put on some salsa music and dance around the house.  Get some soup simmering on the stove and some cookies baking in the oven.  Luxuriate in the bathtub.  Watch at least one movie, preferably black and white, or one containing snow.  Pretend the power is out and use candles for light.  I bet you could use a snow day, too.  

Togetherness

The main reason for choosing to retire now was to spend more time with Elliott.  We’ve certainly had plenty of togetherness these past couple of weeks.  This has taken some adjustment on my part since I was used to spending the majority of my waking hours away from home until very recently.  I often think back to the four years we spent living in the South of France, when we were together 24 hours a day.  It was clear then and it’s still true now – Elliott loves being with me, no matter what I’m doing – whether it’s hanging up the laundry to dry on the communal clothes line (20-plus years ago in Fayence) or running off to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few items for dinner (this afternoon in Fairfax).  I promise to write more about Elliott tomorrow.

Shabbat Shalom

Since it’s Saturday, I greet the morning with a whisper to myself:  Shabbat Shalom.  For those of you not familiar with Jewish tradition, this is the Sabbath and it technically begins at sunset on Friday evening.  Last night, as we customarily do, we lit the candles and said the blessing over them to usher in Shabbat.  In the spirit of the day, I started this morning (pre-breakfast) by unrolling my yoga mat and practicing “Shalom yoga” – and I offer everlasting gratitude to Larissa, my former yoga teacher who developed this particularly Jewish interpretation of an ancient Indian tradition.  Unfortunately, she’s no longer teaching classes, but I continue to practice yoga in the fashion she taught me, with a few variants of my own.  

The mindfulness of my yoga practice carries over into my tea preparation.  I see the bright flames lick the open pan of water I set on the stove, and I listen to the rush of the heat.  I watch for tiny bubbles to appear, indicating that the water has reached the precise temperature for the green tea.  When the right moment arrives, I pour the water through the Jasmine dragon pearls in the tea strainer over my cup.  Within seconds, a rich floral aroma wafts towards my nostrils.  As the tight coils of the tea leaves unfurl, they release more of their fragrance.  After two minutes, I lift the cup to my lips, inhale deeply, and take my first sip of the exquisitely flavored brew.  I feel the creamy warmth throughout my mouth and down my throat as I swallow.  Mmmm, so satisfying, and just the way I wanted to begin this Shabbat morning.

A Fun Friday

Up with the sun, i.e. around 7:00 a.m.  I had plenty of time for a workout at the gym this morning.  Shortly before 9:30, I hopped onto a treadmill and worked up a good sweat fast-walking a couple of miles.  That entitled me to a little reward.  And as I’m committed to helping the local economy, I decided to have lunch out again today.  It also happens to be Washington Restaurant Week, a semi-annual event that I wholeheartedly support.  I met my friend Gale at Geranio, an Italian restaurant on the main commercial street in Old Town Alexandria at noon.  The roaring fire in the fireplace was welcome on this day that finally feels like winter.  We ordered from the special Restaurant Week menu, which included a butternut squash soup flavored with honey and sage, wild mushroom risotto, and a pear and almond tart.  The verdict – nice and satisfying, but not exceptional.  We braved the brisk wind and walked a while afterwards, passing by a multitude of restaurants that I want to try, including a new Parsian restaurant. (We misread it as Parisian at first but realized our mistake when we looked at the menu posted in the window – instead of onion soup and steak frites there was chelo kebab and bademjan.)  Finally, we ended up sitting in Cosi for a good hour drinking coffee (for me) and tea (for Gale), discussing her upcoming move to Tucson. 

As my friends retire and move away from the area, I’m excited for them but very sorry to see them go.  Susan has relocated to Boulder, Lillian is in Chicago, Millicent has a place in Fort Lauderdale, and now Gale is leaving the DC area for the Southwest.  Even Georgi is talking about buying a horse farm a few hours west of here within the year.  I look forward to traveling to see them, along with my other friends and family who are located all around the country.  I have no plans to move in the near future, and you are very welcome to come and stay here with me in northern Virginia.  

Two weeks into my retirement, I’m starting to feel more comfortable with my new status.  I’m still checking my work email a couple of times a day, though! 

Oh, what a beautiful morning - and another lovely day!

I love these mornings when I don’t have to rush out of the house so early.  Although I awoke around 6, I waited until I detected some light coming into the bedroom before I arose.  Shortly after 7 am, it felt like the right time to go into the kitchen. The local wildlife was already stirring.  In the still-dim gray light of approaching dawn, a group of deer wandered peacefully through the backyard.  The sun was not yet over the horizon, but I could see brush strokes of pale pink through the bare tree branches.  Our friendly neighborhood red fox trotted past, looking remarkably well-fed.  Speaking of food, I made a special breakfast this morning:  scrambled eggs sprinkled with za’atar (a Middle Eastern mixture of thyme and sesame seeds) and a toasted English muffin with hummus – just for a little variety.  I also wanted to pack in some extra protein early in the day as a way of combating snack cravings.  This strategy worked quite well.  I was able to wait until lunchtime before I had anything else to eat.  Perhaps the fact that I was out of the house from shortly after breakfast until noon contributed to my success.  Elliott and I went out for a mall walk and a 10 o’clock “one-to-one” training session at the Apple Store.  And instead of stopping at Wegman's for groceries on the way home, where I probably would have had trouble resisting the salad bar, the Asian bar, the sushi bar, the pizza counter, etc., I chose to drive directly home for lunch.  I am actually quite proud of myself for doing this.  So I had a sensible lunch and I’m now cooking a pot of sweet potato and red lentil soup for dinner.  It also has leeks, carrots and celery, and it’s flavored with ginger, garlic, and curry powder.  The aroma is fantastic. 

The Afghan Experience (Elliott Encounters Afghan Cuisine)

It was always so hard to find the time and energy to exercise when I was working.  I’d be full of energy for my first couple of classes each day.  But after lunch, my energy level always started to wane, and by the time I got home from school, I’d be too exhausted to walk or go to the gym.  Since I’m definitely a morning person (even as a retiree), I’ve devised a new daily schedule that takes advantage of my peak energy period.  I have no trouble eating breakfast by seven o’clock.  That means I can easily get to the gym by nine.   Even with a workout and shower, I’ll have time for a quick errand or two before lunchtime.  

I tried the new schedule out today.  After breakfast, I read the paper and checked my email.  Even with a quick stop at Trader Joe’s, I was home from the gym at 11 and then went out with Elliott for lunch.  This gray and gloomy day called for some warm and exciting food, so I decided to introduce him to Afghan cuisine.  At Panjshir (http://www.panjshirrestaurant.com/), an Afghan restaurant in Falls Church, Elliott scrutinized the menu until he found something vaguely recognizable – lamb kebab with saffron rice.  In addition, I ordered a variety of vegetable dishes and an appetizer called aushak.  When the aushak (scallion-stuffed dumplings smothered with yogurt and a meat sauce) arrived, Elliott turned to me and said, “You’re giving me that?”  Although he was skeptical, he took a bite and found the aushak quite tasty.  I was delighted with the sabsi (spinach), zardack (carrots), banjan (eggplant) and kadu (pumpkin) that I ordered.  He found the vegetables a little too spicy for his palate.  For dessert, we shared a luscious baklava and a firnee (a pudding-like dessert flavored with cardamom and garnished with almonds and walnuts).  After such a satisfying lunch, I’ll be able to get through the afternoon with nothing more than a cup of tea while I sit by the fire reading and doing my Spanish homework. 

This past week has been a veritable world tour for my taste buds:  on Sunday, it was a proper English tea complete with scones and lemon curd; on Monday, the fiery cuisine of southern India at Curry Mantra; on Tuesday, a nod to France with a slice of spinach-mushroom quiche  and an almond-pear tart at the Alexandria Pastry Café;  and today, Wednesday, I explored the food of Afghanistan.  Looking ahead to Thursday, I’ll be confronted by an overwhelming selection of diverse offerings at Wegman’s when we do our grocery shopping.  I have a lunch date with a friend on Friday at a classic Italian restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.  And I’ll undoubtedly stop for lunch out on Saturday after services – will it be Middle Eastern?  Chinese?  Thai?  Ethiopian? 

Retirement and Food

Retirement & Food

I hadn’t anticipated that retirement would force me to examine and redefine my relationship to food.  Primarily, I expected that retirement would offer me the ability to eat in a more healthful fashion.  I would have more control over what I ate and when I ate it because I would be spending more time at home.  It would allow me to eat in a way that wasn’t possible when I had to pack up a day’s worth of food to bring to school and squeeze my snacks and meals into the briefest of breaks between classes.   In that sense, retirement makes it easier for me to eat healthfully.  I now have the ability to eat good, healthy food throughout the day. 

However, as you might guess, this additional time and near continuous access to food can have a negative impact as well.  I keep the kitchen well-stocked with the nutritious stuff:  fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, Greek yogurt, olives, whole grain bread, almonds, peanut butter, eggs, tofu, fish, oatmeal, tomato juice, quinoa, and more. Whenever I find myself anywhere in the proximity of the kitchen (which means at least once an hour), it’s difficult not to sample some of these tempting items.  After all, I rationalize, this food has proven health benefits, and I want to stay healthy, right?  And I can’t waste all of this food.  What I haven’t been acknowledging is that even healthy food contains calories, and I’ve probably been going over my target calorie intake on a regular basis since I retired.  In fact, I know this is true because I’ve dared myself to step on the scale a couple of times in the past week, and the scale doesn’t lie.  So it’s time to confront not only what I eat, but how much I eat. 

My problem is that I simply love food, and I enjoy variety in my diet.  On a typical day, I’d start with old-fashioned oatmeal cooked with bananas and soy milk, and then topped with homemade granola and a tasty blend of fresh cranberries, apples, and oranges.  Along with a cup of green tea (no calories there!), that’s seems like a pretty healthy  breakfast.  I can’t survive until lunchtime without a snack, so I might make myself a little pizzette:  a whole grain English muffin topped with olive tapenade and low-fat yogurt cheese melted in the toaster oven, along with a glass of tomato juice.  And if I need a little extra protein pre- or post-workout, a hard-boiled egg does the trick.  Lunch might be a bowl of Greek yogurt, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers and green onion with a drizzle of EVOO and lemon juice.  If there’s some homemade soup, that would be good, too.  I can’t get through a day with hummus, so I’d probably use a sesame whole grain cracker or two to scoop up some of that.  Mid-afternoon, when my energy is running a little low, I reach for black tea, grapefruit and a few forkfuls of whatever leftovers I see in the refrigerator.  I’ll munch on some crudités (carrot, celery, raw cauliflower) with hummus while making dinner.  Before the mushrooms go into in the salad bowl, several end up in my mouth.  And if there’s an open bottle of wine, I find that it helps to take a few sips while cooking.  At this point, I’m usually not very hungry any more, but it’s dinner time and I have to put a meal on the table for Elliott.  He wants “real” (i.e. recognizable) food so I make a complete dinner:  fish, a roasted vegetable or two, a salad, fruit.  He’ll generally finish off his meal with ice cream.  I would love to indulge as well, but I limit myself to licking off the ice cream scooper after I’ve served him a bowlful of vanilla or mint chocolate chip (his favorites). 

By the way, Elliott consumes cookies at an amazing rate.  At any given time, we must have at least three varieties open in the house – graham crackers, ginger snaps, and biscotti.  I exercise great self-discipline and manage to avoid snacking on these.  As I put uneaten food away after dinner, I try not to let the potential leftovers find their way into my mouth when no one is looking.  My last calories of the day come from the small square of 85% dark chocolate that I allow myself along with a cup of decaffeinated coffee after I clean up the kitchen.  Now, looking back over what I might eat during the course of a day, I see that several opportunities where I could scale back my eating and eliminate calories.  Sadly, I must change my mindset about food.  I can still eat everything I love, just not all of it on the same day.