Nice & Boring

The days of this summer are passing by with one day blending into another without much change. I don’t mind that. Sometimes co-workers ask EJ “How’s life?” When he replies, “Nice and boring,” they respond, “What? Really? No, you want it EXCITING!” EJ says, “You mean like a drunk driver running me off the road? Or the machines at work exploding? Or my kid getting cancer? You mean excitement like that?” Then his co-workers say, “Oh, you are right. Nice and boring is pretty good.”

Although in the nice and boring days, there are a few things that happen. I have thought about writing about them, but I just haven’t been motivated. I have been thinking many thoughts, but I’m not motivated to write them either. Besides being a nice and boring summer, it’s also been a tiring and unmotivated summer.  I think the fatigue and lack of motivation is due to the cancer battle. As my friend’s doctor told her, “Recovery is long and slow.”

Although my week has not been boring in some ways. I have kept updated on what is happening around the world and I have been motivated to pray. Maybe that is another reason I am tired: It takes energy to care and to pray.

Earlier this week–maybe about Wednesday–EJ stopped at the gas station on his way home from work. He also picked up some fried chicken. When he got home, we three gathered around the kitchen table and had a fun midnight snack.

Usually I like to prepare my Shabbat meal on Friday morning, but Friday morning was going to be busy so I prepared everything on Thursday. I made Ground Beef Wellington with Fennel. The recipe calls Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, but I made homemade crescent rolls instead, and I used the fennel that I grow in my herb garden. I also made Challah Bread. This time I braided with six strands. I’m always amazed that I can make such beautiful bread. It is such a work of art.

When I was waiting for bread and crescent dough to rise, I took Danny for his regular walk. Before we began our walk, I took last week’s Challah bread out to the feeders for the birds. We don’t always eat it all and I hate to throw it away. Danny loves the bread too, so I broke off a piece for him before I gave the rest of it for the birds. At the end of our walk, Danny wanted to go through the gate into the yard where the feeders are. He NEVER asks to go into the yard after our walk, but he had taken note that I had taken the bread out to the birds, and he remembered. I unhooked his leash and let him into the yard, but the bread was all in the tray feeders where he couldn’t reach it. He is such a silly dog.

At the beginning of our walk, my neighbor asked if I’d like some cucumbers and zucchini. She had extra from her garden. Absolutely! She brought a bag of them over not long after Danny and I returned home. I used the zucchini to make another mock apple pie. EJ and JJ (and I) love it and can’t get enough of it. My guys say they like the zucchini pie even better than real apple pie. When I finished all my cooking and had washed the dishes, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing financial stuff–reconciling the checkbook and all that. This is my most detested chore, but it has to get done.

Friday morning we had to get up early to drive to the Cancer Center for JJ to get his port flushed. The port has to stay in for at least a year in case it is needed again [shudder]. Every other month, it has to be flushed. JJ enjoys seeing all the oncologist staff, but he hates going to the Cancer Center. Seeing all the hairless patients dozing in their chairs while chemo drugs are dripped into their bodies is like being sucked back into a nightmare. The days we go to the Cancer Center are very traumatizing days for him.

Friday evening (last night), JJ and I watched a monster movie together. It was very stupid and all through the movie we criticized it with derision. For example, in the military decided to shoot the monsters with a nuclear missile [even though the expert said the monsters FED on such things. Hey, why don’t we send these destructive monsters LUNCH!] They transported the missile on a train [why not just FLY the missile into the monster? Duh]. The soldiers stopped before a tunnel and sent a few soldiers ahead to see if the way was monster-free. “Is it clear? Is it clear?” the solider on the radio kept asking. Good grief, wouldn’t the screams coming over the radio be an indication that the way was NOT clear? But the clueless soldier said, “It’s clear” and on the train went to be destroyed by the waiting monster. Sheesh. How stupid can you get??? When the movie was finished, JJ and I turned to each other and said “That was so much fun! We should watch a stupid monster movie every week. Let’s do it!”

EJ and I spent this morning studying together and discussing what we’ve studied. I also chatted on the phone with a very delightful friend. Then I took Danny for his walk. The day has been very enjoyable.