Parents Write

(Actually, I think seeing my grandkids was the best therapy possible!)

Well, the last 3 flew home yesterday, so this afternoon I called the little ones to get their  opinion on their father's behavior on the plane and a general update on the state of the world. Gavin was busy playing "office" with his stepsisters; they just built a new desk (toybox lid) and were working on chairs. He asked if we'd won the lottery last night (so we can buy a house on the beach), and consoled me when I answered in the negative. Kenna gave me an update on the new baby; she's smiling and holding her head up now.

After our goodbyes, I headed off for my first physical therapy session. My therapist turns out to be a rather animated fellow named Chad. He asked why my first name was June when I was born in May- I considered asking him why his first name wasn't "Idaho", but wisely bit my tongue. Doesn't pay to be sarcastic with the person who's going to torture you.

He pronounced my rotator cuff a "massive tear", and put me in the highest level of therapy. What this translates to is 3 one hour sessions a week with old Chad, doing passive movement only (meaning he lifts my arm in each direction until I sream for mercy) and hooking up the zappy little electrode thing to my shoulder for 20 minutes at a time. I'm not supposed to lift even a pound of weight. I get the feeling me and old CHad are going to be seeing each other for quite some time.

Meanwhile, I am allowed to type as long as I don't move my forearm. My goal is to have the next novel in rough draft form by the time I go back to work- whenever that may be. Since I've only written the prologue and 1 1/2 chapters, that should be motivation, right? I think it'll be really good, as I'm on all kinds of pills and quite loopy.

Posted by robin at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here I am, back at the keyboard 2 weeks after my rotator cuff surgery. My upper arm is still imobilized, and will be for another month, but I can use my right hand and can type without incurring swelling, so here I am.

It's been a long 2 weeks. MY daughter drove down from Michigan (with her 4 year old) 2 days before to "Help me out" while I was incapacitated. Remember Nurse Ratchett in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? Yup.

The day after the surgery my son flew in with his 2 kids, so we've had quite a houseful. I must admit, it's been a wonderful 2 weeks; now it's time to hit the keyboard and get back the the Blogging World.

Stay tuned for my next post; I think I'm ready for the daily (if shortened) grind.

Robin

Posted by robin at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, so it's been a few weeks since I posted...my brother would say, "What happened? I thought you got kidnapped by pygmies!"

Not quite so dramatic. I went to the doctor for the arthritis in my shoulder, and he told me it was a torn rotator cuff- the tendon attaching to my arm is hanging by a thread, and there are big jagged bone spurs stretching it taut. Well, they looked big to me, seeing as it's MY shoulder they're skulking about in...

Bottom line is, I'm learning to type without moving my arm, while I await surgery on the 24th.

Meanwhile, the editor sent us the first third of the "Grandparenting" manuscript, complete with her special comments, changes, and edits. Mind you, she's 3 weeks late in sending it, and there's 2/3 more to finish by the end of August. We're also trying to get the Scholarship CD finished (no minor chore for one as computer illiterate as I)- today I learned how to Hyperlink: a good thing, as we have over 600 links to put on the CD!

Got the new printer, learned how to print a design on a CD. Taught the dog to walk like a human. AND more big news- we decided to join the world of digital photography! Amazon will deliver our new toy maybe next week.

My daughter will be here Sunday night in anticipation of nursing me after my surgery. This is my greatest nightmare- Sara the Hun will someday hold the keys to my Nursing Home...

Posted by robin at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by robin at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I read an article that discussed a state legislative proposal to reward children for good grades with money. Get all A’s? Great, have some cash. Your tax dollars would be at work to raise the average GPA. (Quick thought: if it worked, and everybody started making A’s and B’s, would somebody start complaining about rampant grade inflation?)

I listened briefly to a talking-heads back-and-forth (allegedly discussing the pros and cons) on TV. One guy suggested that this was a slippery slope, that the next step would be to pay people for obeying laws or acting moral. He might have a point, but there are already inducements to obey the law and act morally, namely prison and hell (or a similarly discordant plane of after-life).

My initial reaction to the story was a wince. This idea is so bad, it hurts. But then I started thinking, have I ever bribed my own children? Well, of course I have! When they were infants, there was the bribe of goodies to take their first steps. Later, I offered cash rewards if they would read a certain number of books over the summer. Do I still offer this? No. My point is, this bribery worked well for a few summers. And I understood that the thirst for reading was either going to take root quickly or it would never take root (how’s that for a mixed metaphor?).

And you know what, maybe some children don’t believe they can get good grades. Maybe the cash reward system will make them re-think their potential. My only caveat: just as I no longer pay my kids for reading, the cash for good grades should be limited to one or two years per student. If they don’t understand the benefits of good grades by then, if those study habits haven’t taken root, then the money would simply be going to helping a school’s collective GPA and test scores, which in the era of No Child Left Behind makes me wonder if that’s the underlying reason for this push. That is, pay the kids to make good grades so the school can stay in business to teach the kids. Ouch, my head hurts.

Posted by Doug at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was Fathers Day. After all 3  of Doug's kids called bearing well wishes and happy grateful thoughts, Doug headed to the computer to write and I headed to the sofa to nap- our usual Sunday routine.

My mind drifted back, to a drunken father who left this earth over 30 years ago. Further back, memories of my mother with broken teeth and bones, of pet cats shot dead in the middle of the night. No warm fuzzy paternal memories to make the day special to me...

Just as I began to doze off, the phone rang yet again. I listened as Doug fielded yet another call- this time from my own daughter, who had her own thanks and greetings to give to the man who didn't become her stepfather until she was well into her twenties.

As I looked over at Doug's glowing face, I realized just who and what Fathers Day is for. Some men are  such special people, they need a whole day to do justice to the difference they've made in childrens lives. I got off the couch, and when the phone was free I called the other special father in my life- my son.

Posted by robin at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Doug at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)