Home again

I'm starting this post kind of late in the day, so it won't be a long one. It's been eight days since my last post and we are back in Boulder. I flew back with both kids on Tuesday, June 8th, instead of just Teen B -- just couldn't leave Teen A there, not knowing whether Rocket Boy would end up back in the hospital, etc. So we left Rocket Boy behind, which made me feel terrible, but he wasn't in any state to travel, either. 

Now he's much better -- he's finished his antibiotics and his leg has gone back to its normal (lymphedemic) size and the cellulitis seems to be gone. He says he still feels kind of tired, but I don't think he's at death's door. The cellulitis was so scary, though. One of these days, that may be what takes him out. One of these days, the doctors may not be able to stop the infection. When I was watching him suffer, when his apartment was full of first responders, and later after he went to the hospital, I thought about how that could have been the end.

Two days ago was the end for someone else -- my sister's wonderful dog, Mason. He had a tumor in his jaw, and when they operated they found that it had spread too much to be treatable. I feel so sad for my sister and her family, but I also feel personally sad, even though it's not searing, like their grief. I loved Mason. And I hadn't seen him since 2018, the last time we were in California. Three years is a long time in dog years. Mason was the ur-dog, the original good dog. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Mason. When we were thinking of getting a dog -- last summer? the summer before? -- the kids wanted to get a Mason. They aren't easy to find.

It's been such an awful year, or 14 months I guess, for our family's pets! My little sister lost two dogs, we lost two cats. And now Mason. It reminds me of 2007 when our three pets all died. Or, more ominously, of 1989/90, when so many family members died. It's been over 30 years since then. I know we're going to have another year like that eventually. Please, not soon.

Mason's death feels like the end of an era: the Mason years. There will be many good years to come, of course, but the Mason years were special. Mason's death marks the end of the twins' childhood -- they were little boos when my sister's family acquired him, and now this year they are teenagers.

Well. It's hot here, like it was in St. Louis, but with lower humidity. The next three days it's supposed to be very hot: 97, 97, and 98. Even with low humidity that's pretty hot. I remember when we lived in Ridgecrest, of course it was nice that it was a very dry heat, but 111 is hot no matter how you look at it. In Ridgecrest this week it is supposed to be 115 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. In Death Valley on those days it is supposed to be 123.

It's not that bad here, of course, but the humidity is higher. For example, right now in Boulder the humidity is 33%, but in Ridgecrest it's 10% and in Death Valley it's 4%. In St. Louis it's 42% (it was worse when we were there). 

I spend a lot of time obsessively checking the temperature and humidity and dewpoint and forecast in all these places -- also the Bay Area where my sisters are.

I'm looking ahead to the rest of the summer and feeling a little overwhelmed. The thought of watching the twins play video games from sunup to sundown, day in and day out, is depressing. I thought with one twin at a time at home, it would be easier to plan some activities. Now I have to get them to agree. It's easier not to plan things.

Teen B had two teeth pulled on Thursday, and he will get braces on Monday the 21st. Meanwhile, this week both boys will get their second dose of the Covid vaccine, and later in the week I have a consultation with a surgeon about my parathyroid, so that means driving to Aurora. Oh, sigh. One complication is that I managed to leave my Blue Cross card in St. Louis, so Rocket Boy is mailing it to me, but it probably won't arrive in time.

OK, how about some plans:

Checking up on Quarterly goals (2nd quarter):

• Read a presidential biography. I've read my two biographies of Andrew Johnson. Check.
  
• Work on a project. The sewing machine is out of the box but I have not yet sewn anything. I might try during these last couple of weeks.
  

Monthly goals (June):

• Contact with friends and/or family members. So far in June I have had another Zoom call with friends and the twins and I visited Rocket Boy. It's enough for now..
  
• Book group. I just picked up the book (Anthill by E. O. Wilson) at the library today. We meet at Sally's on the 22nd, so I'd better start reading.
  
• Classics Challenge 2021. I've only read three books so far (out of 12). Planning to start the 4th tonight; maybe can start the 5th by the end of the month.
  
• Take the twins somewhere fun. I'll try to get them to a swimming pool this month. Not promising anything else.
  
• Donate $$ to some organization. I completely blew off May. Not sure what to donate to in June. I'll figure that out later.
  
• Work on a goal on my master list. I did a little writing in May and it was fun. I might try to do a little more these last weeks of June, see if it's even possible with the twins home all the time.
  

And my weekly/daily plans:

• Health: The kids get their second Covid shots on Monday morning, so I will need to take care of them on Tuesday if they aren't feeling well. Teen B has four more antibiotic pills to get down. On Thursday I drive to Aurora for my consultation with the surgeon. Also call about my bone scan.
  
• Food: Saturday's leftovers might last for one more dinner, but after that I'll have to cook. Cooking with the twins is on hold for a little longer. Maybe stovetop pasta dishes, scrambled eggs, fried rice, that kind of thing. Shop on Tuesday? Maybe Trader Joe's too?
  
• Exercise: Try to take a walk each evening, even if it's still hot, even if I don't feel well. Even a 10-minute walk is better than nothing.
  
• Writing: Maybe try for Monday and Wednesday, even just half an hour. Make it fun.
  
• Sewing: Try for Tuesday and Friday, just get the project started. Could be fun.
• Garden: One of these days, maybe Friday/Saturday after the heat breaks just a little, buy flowers for the front yard. I'm so late on that, but the nurseries are still full of color. Sturtz & Copeland might still have some hanging baskets, and the place on Table Mesa probably has lots of stuff.
• Cleaning: Don't forget about it. Try to get the kitchen under control. Pace myself.
  

OK, that's enough for tonight. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow and add a few things, or pictures. Just so tired tonight, and it's 9:43 and I haven't cleaned the kitchen or put the twins to bed or taken my shower or anything. And it's hot. So be it. Enough.