honoring january 19, 2012

VIEW from Hood River Inn Best Western

Hood River, Oregon -- on the Columbia River

Photo by Ryan Huntington

here's my tale

it's a humerus one

haha 

now that we got that out of the way

 let the hen pecking continue 

tuesday, jan 18, 2012.

no electricity at home

so  we accepted an offer for a discounted king-size room 

at the hood river inn best western

$39 and that includes breakfast!

i can't remember the last time i had a $39 hotel room

can you?

not in this century for sure

detour to the cebu lounge 

for happy hour times 3

some fancy drink i don't recall

something with  amaretta

loved the sugar rimmed glass

but my heart was set on more substantial things

 tempura cod, cole slaw

broccolini with slivered almonds and spicy oil

nibbles of hubby's pasta and french onion soup

satiated

warm

i love electricity

wednesday, jan. 19

sitting at the window, in the hotel restaurant

staring at washington state 

a breakfast to remember

excited chatter with the hubby

sharing yesterday's mail

french post cards to go with french toast

consulting google translate 

verified at last -- a card mailed to a cat

mr. kitten would have loved the smoked apple sausage

next to my scrambled eggs

i savor more bird cards between bites

rumor has it that power is back on at the condo

can't wait to get home to work on my beauties ...

we spy a blue heron flying over the river

it lands on the island and becomes one with the gray rock

its cream yellow beak the only thing that gives it away

one more look at the panoramic view

and i walk away laughing

the hubby says he's going to get gas before taking me home

well then, i say, if we're going that far into town, 

take me on to the library.

i've three books to return. 

one is already overdue. 

if i wait on good weather to come back later,

 no telling how much my fees will be on all three

ah, penny wise and pound foolish.

that's what i'll be thinking before the day is over

i jump out of the car

navigate the mound of plowed up snow

and cram 3 books into the library slot

i dash back but the icy snow is more of a hurdle than i expect

my brain can't register what happened next.

head is eye-level with car wheel

i see fingers in the slushy ice

i wiggle them, but they won't obey any other commands

no pushing up

no nothing 

brain says 'that's not our arm'

i start hollering hubby's name

hubby to the rescue

ER here we come

i'm living a scene from a movie

we're going to have to cut your clothes off

they say. is that all right?

i don't care, it's a $3 sweatshirt

my black turtleneck is next to go; 

i don't care, another bargain purchase i can shed...

OK, we're going to cut your bra now--

WAIT!

it's my favorite bra. it's my most comfortable bra!

i manage to lean forward just enough so Nurse Karen can undo the hooks.

ladies, you understand, don't you?:)

the male nurse is working on my left arm.

an IV for morphine

 he's kind, asking permission, explaining each move

"Now, while I've got you here, if you don't mind, I'll just go ahead and check your blood pressure again, if that's all right with you."

OK, i say, but no pap smear.

the last time i was given serious drugs 

was about 24 years ago. 

at that time i had my momma, Julia, to watch over me. 

i have low blood pressure as it is and it was dropping ... 

but Julia was keeping an eye on me

so i knew i was going to be OK.

i'm thinking the morphine is already kicking in now

because i'm wanting to cry, not from the pain in my arm

but because 

I WANT MY MOMMY

i am perplexed at this innate need 

harkening to infantile days 

but comforted beyond measure 

when the two X-ray technicians are introduced:

kathy and JULIA

the pain comes in waves. 

i keep wanting to ask if it's a boy or a girl.

this much pain should produce something! 

i forewarn Nurse Karen 

(to be forewarned is to be fore-armed:)

now i know why god created the F word

the muscle spasms alternate with nausea

the morphine is making me sick to my stomach

there's yet another medicine for that

relief from  the pain is slow in coming

but it comes

and all the while

between the tears and gritted teeth,

between grimaces and groans

i am overflowing with gratitude

how grateful i am 

for such an otherwise healthy body

so thankful i didn't hit my head

so lucky my hubby was there

so beautiful of a morning

and i'm going to remember everything:

the french toast with the view, too