The Best You Can�

2004-03-05

When I'm working, Friday afternoon is my favorite time of week. The whole weekend stretches ahead, sometimes filled with absolutely nothing, sometimes filled personal projects.

Last weekend was a do-nothing weekend. The first nice days that we've had in a while. They were spent basking. I felt very lizardish. Warming up the body temperature until I actually felt like moving.

This weekend is project full. Got three projects going on which I've made actual progress. Painting the glass for the side window for the front door, an illustration and the quilt. And I've actually worked on all three pretty consistently.

Saw a rat in the yard today. I think it was a rat. It looked smaller than all of the rats I've known, and bigger than all the mice. In any case it crawled up the wall of the garden into a space between the stucco and wooden eaves of the neighbors house.

I was standing on the landing talking to the Spouse, who was in the kitchen. He favors the live catch trap. I, on the other hand, am much more vicious. I'll leave it at that.

Dad's goes in for his autologous stem cell transplant on the 15th. He'll be the hospital for two or three weeks, if all goes as planned.

He and Mom have decided to go between now and then to Pismo Beach. A last outing before his 'confinement.' So maybe it won't feel quite so confining.

I think he's also discovered something that I, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, discovered nearly 20 years ago. Life can change in an instant. Suck all the pleasure out of it that you can. And remember, there may not be any do-overs. You may not get a chance to fix all the things you thought you'd have a chance to fix.

In any case, Mom and Dad are going to Pismo. Youngest sister and her family are going up there and will have lunch with the folks.

Oh. Mental flash. I would like the Spouse and I to go and barge in. I'd have to take a day off. Spouse would have to take a day off. Have to ask youngest sister if she'll mind if I horn in on her days again.

Middle sister has offered Dad his choice of her DVD's to take to hospital.

I think I may have one to add to the collection. The family slides. I finished scanning a while ago. Now I just need to get them reasonably organized. Hopefully by date.

I only hope that Dad sees what I see. A life well-lived. Children who love their parents.

I never realized how many children there are that don't love their parents until I was an adult.

The one thing I've seen in my parents, both of them, time and again. They did the best they could. Really, they always have.

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