Exciting Medical Breakthrough

 

Monday, July 23, 2012 – An Exciting Medical Breakthrough

After several days of suffering, Elliott has achieved a medical breakthrough in the campaign against pain. According to a highly scientific study conducted by Drs. Elliott and Robin Thompson over the past 24 hours, a combination of two prescription pain medications administered in conjunction with a large hot fudge sundae results in a significant decrease in pain.   In fact, this treatment regimen was so successful that I went out earlier today to replenish our supply of hot fudge sauce.  (There’s still plenty of Haagen Dazs vanilla and coffee ice cream in the freezer.)   From now on, I will insist that Elliott consume at least one hot fudge sundae per day. 

Our little research experiment calls to mind some words of wisdom that my mother, a non-apologetic lover of hot fudge sundaes, shared with me when I was a child.  Katie used to tell me that ice cream was good for the soul.  Now I can confidently say that it’s good for the body, too.  So remember, when experiencing pain, don’t forget to take your daily dose of ice cream, preferably with hot fudge sauce.  If you don’t believe me, just ask Elliott. 

In non-medical news, my friends Judy and Maya came over on Sunday for a lesson in gazpacho making.  Judy is a fairly inexperienced cook (and Maya is actually her 4-legged housemate) but I assured her that the Spanish soup is very simple to prepare.  The key is getting ripe, tasty tomatoes, which are readily available at this time of year.  I showed her how to peel the tomatoes and remove their seeds before putting them in the food processor.  The machine does the major part of the work for this recipe.  We also chopped up cucumber, red pepper, Vidalia onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro.  After processing, add some olive oil, red wine vinegar (just a bit), and salt and pepper.  Put it in the refrigerator to get nice and cold.  While it’s chilling, drink a good summery wine and nibble on a variety of cheeses and whole grain baguette slices.  When you eat the gazpacho, the tastes of a summer garden will fill your mouth.  

Finally, I just realized I’ve haven’t yet performed an important annual ritual, i.e. the ceremonial shredding of my AHS parking permit.  I’ve always done this over the summer as a way of symbolizing the conclusion of another school year.  When I was teaching, I always looked forward to getting a new one in September because we got a different color every year.  Sometimes it was fiery red or juicy orange, bright yellow or grass green.  The permit that, until yesterday, was languishing in the console compartment of the car is a lovely shade of blue, sort of tropical lagoon blue.  I brought it inside to dispose of it, but as I held it just centimeters above the hungry metal jaws of the shredder, I hesitated.  This is my last AHS parking permit.  Maybe I should frame it, or incorporate it into a collage.  Since I couldn’t make up my mind, I granted the permit a temporary reprieve.  In all likelihood, it will end up tucked away in a drawer or box, only to be rediscovered when I’m cleaning out the house at some future point in time.