TheBanyanTree: Another Weekend, Another Blizzard

[Margaret R. Kramer]

We’re in the midst of our second major winter storm this winter.  The winter
of 2010/2011 will be remembered as a sucky winter.  We didn’t have the
bitter cold, but we definitely had tons of snow.  And we’re getting more
snow after half a ton of snow melted this past week as we basked in sunshine
and 50 degree temperatures.

My neighbors, the notorious alcoholics, you never see them without a can of
beer and a cigarette in their hands, had already set up their lawn chairs
and grill within a small clear spot on their snow covered deck.  Let the
spring partying begin!  Except it’s still February.  We still have lots of
snow and cold to get through before true partying can reasonably be done.

They’re going to have a long day today, since they go out and shovel every
couple of hours or so.  Unfortunately, it’s the smart thing to do, since
they don’t have a snowblower, and the driveway is kind of long.  It’s easier
to keep at it then to wait until the end and try to muscle two feet of snow
off of the walks and driveway.

But there’s three of them, and younger, too, and one of me.  Joe is in the
hospital and couldn’t do anything if he was here anyway.  I learned from the
December storm that I should have gone out several times, too, to blow off
the walks and stuff.  By the time that storm ended, it was a massive job to
dig out.  It took Joe and me almost three hours of blowing and shoveling to
move all that snow.

Joe went to the doctor last Monday, had an ultrasound, and discovered he had
gallstones.  He had an appointment with the surgeon for tomorrow, but he had
several painful attacks during the week, so he went to the emergency room on
Thursday.  

The doctors did an ultrasound and then a scope.  His gallstones were
blocking the duct to the pancreas, so his pancreas was inflamed.  They gave
him an antibiotic for the pancreas, didn’t let him eat or drink anything, so
his pancreas could settle down.

Once the pancreas relaxed, he had his gall bladder removed yesterday
afternoon.

He was conscious and alert after surgery, which was amazing to me.  Ray was
always deathly ill whenever he went to the hospital.  He always had an
agonizing time trying to recover and be well again.  He had the heart of a
lion in a frail body.

So it’s weird for me to go to the hospital and actually have a conversation
with Joe.  Ray and I always conserved our talking, or he slept, because he
was so sick.  When I was visiting Joe after surgery last night, I let him
know it was OK for him to sleep.  He didn’t need to entertain me.  I brought
a couple of magazines and books along.  I’m perfectly content sitting in a
chair and reading.

Joe is doing fine.  He ate a clear liquid breakfast and they’re giving him
some pudding for lunch.  He’s been up and walking around.  And he can turn
his torso without too much pain.  He decided to stay in the hospital today
and rest.

That’s OK; I don’t want to drive in a snow storm anyway.  I thought about
going to the hospital, it’s not that far away, just on the other side of
downtown St Paul, by the capitol building, but I could probably get there
all right, but going home?  Who knows how bad it would be?  That’s why we
have phones, I guess.

I’m following Minnesota Department of Transportation on twitter, and tweet
after tweet is coming in regarding accidents on the roads.  It’s always
amazing to me even though this storm has been predicted for the last few
days, how people don’t plan and “just have to be out there no matter how bad
it is” driving around.

I’m sure my boss is working today.  He lives over 30 miles from downtown St
Paul.  I’m sure he got to work all right, but then he’ll spend hours getting
home this afternoon.  I hope he’ll be OK driving home.  But that’s a typical
example.  “I just have to get there.”

I got up early this morning and ran out of the house like a wild woman, so I
could get my workout in before it started snowing.  I loved it, because
there was hardly anyone at the club.  It didn’t start snowing until almost
10:00 am, and I was home well before then, eating breakfast and reading the
paper.

So far, it looks like this storm is not as bad as the one in December.  The
snow isn’t piling up as fast.  The wind is howling, though.  I took the
trash out and almost got blown over.  Maybe that’s a sign of things to come.

Other than snowblowing, today offers endless possibilities on how to spend
my time.  I already have vegetable soup simmering in the crock pot and bread
dough in the bread machine.  I have tons of books to read.  I can watch some
DVDs, although I don’t like entertaining myself by watching TV, even
watching movies – I always feel so stale and useless watching TV.  I have
scrapbooking projects waiting for me in my scrapbooking work area I put
together for myself in the basement.

And I’ll call Joe once in a while, or he’ll call me, to stay in touch.  When
Ray would call me from the hospital that was one of the signs he was feeling
better.  He only called me once during his last stay in the hospital, and
that was probably on the first day from what I remember.

He never called again.  And he got progressively worse as his stay went on.

Three years ago.  And his death still hits me like hammer.

OK.  Back to the present.  It’s snowing.  I’m all snug in my home.  I have
gas for the snowblower.  My sweetie is doing good after surgery.  My dogs
love the snow.  And Asher’s big black cat, left behind, so now I think he’s
my cat, is sleeping at my feet.

And Ray is right here, too, enjoying the snow and watching over me.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
www.linkedin.com/in/margaretkramer

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.      
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning