A Challenging Week

November 3, 2014 – A Challenging Week

This has been a challenging week for Elliott.  On Tuesday evening, while we were entertaining dinner guests (Tony and Marshall), Elliott complained of back pain so excruciating that he couldn’t bear to have anyone touch the affected area.  Halfway through dinner, he abandoned his plate of partially eaten kofta and Swiss chard with tahini-yogurt sauce and got into bed.  When I looked at his back a couple of hours later, I noticed a cluster of three raised red spots on one side of his lower back.  I had seen enough commercials on TV to make a diagnosis of shingles.  Even he’d gotten a shingles vaccine, was certain that he had shingles.  The following morning, our family doctor confirmed the diagnosis.  Fortunately, we had gotten a shingles vaccine within the past couple of years, and we were able to start treatment immediately, before any of the red spots had started to blister.  Elliott began a regimen of anti-viral medication and prednisone, which helped prevent the shingles rash from spreading to other areas of his body.  The intense pain subsided within a couple of days, but he’s had to deal with the unpleasant side effects of the prednisone.  He took his last pill this morning, and he’s looking and feeling much better now.  

Even shingles can't keep Elliott down for long.

Not all the medical news was bad, however.  The doctor’s scale revealed that Elliott has gained a couple of pounds.  It must be attributable to the increased calories in his diet.  In fact, right this minute, I’m being summoned back to the kitchen to prepare his turkey bacon and fried egg. 

(Back from brief interruption)  Elliott’s breakfast is a prolonged affair.  First of all, it’s a multi-course production.  But more importantly, he reads the newspaper while he eats, which means that his consumes on average one bite per minute.  But a leisurely breakfast is one of the pleasures of retirement.

Despite the physical and mental distress of the past week, Elliott has been able to stay active.  In fact, as soon as he finishes eating, he’ll be back to his supervision of the downstairs cleanup crew (that would be me).  He monitors my dusting and vacuuming to ensure that they meet his exacting standards.  I have to monitor him as well.  Yesterday I found him standing on a stepladder, taking down the mini-blinds from one of the windows.  At least he didn’t argue when I told him that I’d take over that particular job.  After we finish the cleanup, the next job will be painting, a job that Elliott will not attempt himself. 

Halloween was uneventful.  Unlike our children, we didn’t dress up in costumes, but we had plenty of trick-or-treaters.  Still, there was leftover candy, which is now safely stored in the specially designated Cabinet of Forbidden Foods, i.e. Elliott’s cabinet. 

While Elliott was homebound, I found that the Workhouse Arts glass studio was a great escape for me.  In addition to spending time on my own new pieces, I pitched in with the Workhouse glass artists and students who are slumping wine bottles as a fundraiser for the glass program.  We’re washing hundreds of wine bottles, scraping off the labels, slumping them in the kiln, and then preparing them for sale in the Glass House.  I was great at label scraping, but my raffia tying skills were abysmal.  

Bottles in the kiln - to be "slumped"

I just couldn't get that raffia tied right!

Even with all the hours at Workhouse, I managed to find time to try a new recipe (an adaptation of Thai chicken salad, for which I used squid), and to get out for dinner (Thai again) and a concert (Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Allen Toussaint) here in Fairfax.  

Love those Thai flavors - lemongrass, mint, Thai basil, cilantro, lime

Thai dinner at Sisters Living Room Café

That extra hour over the weekend was most welcome.  In fact, I think everyday should have an extra hour.  Let’s start a campaign for the 25-Hour Day. 

Although I don’t post to my blog on a daily basis, I write everyday.  All around the house I have scraps of paper with my notes.  However, someone needs to invent a device (perhaps a waterproof keyboard?) that will allow me to write while showering.  That’s where I get all of my best thoughts.  As soon as I turn off the water, I jump out shivering and dripping, grab a pencil, and start scribbling on a soggy piece of paper.  And I’m always afraid that I’ll lose the words before I can get them down. 

Well, Elliott has finished his coffee, so it’s time to get back to work downstairs.  Until later.