Where's Elliott?

 

Monday, June 18, 2012 – Where’s Elliott?

Where’s Elliott?  Where’s that smiling silver-haired charmer?  Where’s Mr. 99 and Doing Fine?  Where’s my workout partner and dining companion?  A grumpy centenarian who has no appetite and no zest for life has taken his place.  Will the real Elliott please come back? 

Sadly, the last week or so hasn’t been kind to Elliott, and he’s somewhat discouraged.  It’s a combination of factors – ongoing back pain that isn’t responding to the pain medication, difficulty getting in touch with his pain doctor, and lingering upper respiratory symptoms that are sapping his energy.  I sympathize with him, but his constant complaints and demands are wearing me down. 

One bright spot was our Father’s Day celebration on Sunday.  Matt treated us to dinner at P.F. Chang’s.  Elliott claimed he wasn’t very hungry, so he just ordered an appetizer of spare ribs.  I started off with the vegetarian lettuce wraps.  The food was yummy and we got to eat with our hands, which is always fun.  When Elliott said he didn’t want to share a vegetarian main course with, I mentioned an interesting article I’d read in the Sunday Washington Post about limiting greenhouse gas emissions through reduction in meat consumption.  I tried to convince him that becoming a vegetarian would help prevent disastrous climate change.  We had a pretty lively discussion, but Elliott remained skeptical.  Matt, who ordered his favorite Chang’s spicy chicken, wondered how chicken compared to beef in terms of production of methane byproducts.  He isn’t usually an adventurous eater, but he decided to try something new for dessert – banana spring rolls with coconut pineapple ice cream.  Quite tasty, and the crispy outer wrapper is a nice contrast to the soft banana center.  

Sunday was a busy day for me since I worked out in the morning and spent most of the afternoon at the Workhouse Arts Center.  The fused glass piece I made at the previous week’s session had been fired.  I worked on a new circular piece (10-inch diameter) that will be fused, draped, and ready for pickup next Sunday.  

I made a quick visit to Greenspring to check on Katie this afternoon.  All is well.  Now I’m just waiting for Elliott to become his charming self again.