I'm really happy about all of the positive feedback I've received from my family about the "Outlaws" post. There are other stories I'd like to share, including from my maternal side of the family but I need a little time to decompress from the emotions I put into that post. One of my cousins wonders if several of us could somehow put our memories together. That would be a fun project, but how to do it? I read my post & the many facebook comments about the post aloud to my mom this afternoon. She enjoyed remembering & the nice compliments about how cool, thoughtful & funny my cousins think she is. She will absolutely never forget the Waldorf episode when the cousins locked themselves in a room with open windows. Do any hotel rooms actually have windows that open these days? I think the windows were open at the Waldorf that day cause we were feeding pigeons on the little ledge outside the window. I'm surprised they weren't flying around inside the room. Next time I write family memories I have to include the week my family stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We were there for David's medical school graduation. My dad would never have paid for that expensive a hotel but we were compted for some reason. I wish some of my cousins had been there to enjoy a fairy tale stay at the Hotel California. My other most fun memory of being in a famous establishment was when we went to the Russian Tea Room when we were in NYC for Laura's wedding.
On a completely different subject yesterday I went to a gym.
I've actually never been to a real gym before. I've done aerobics classes ( the reason I can't stand Hall & Oates to this day). I've tried yoga a few different times. I went for a while to a "rehab" gym in the '90's after a lot of Physical Therapy on a previous back issue. Just before I found out I should not be climbing hills cause of some spinal problems ( compression fractures, a healing fracure in my sacrum & a pinched nerve) I was attempting to try getting in shape by walking my street which is a steep hill. I was making it twice around our looping street in about 30 min but with every step uphill I could feel my back.The PT's I'm seeing now said it would be OK to do the treadmill if it was flat & the recumbent bike. I was really sweating. Sometimes I get somewhat compulsive & I may have gotten carried away. I also got down on a mat & tried some of my PT exercises. While I'm still in PT, I'll probably only be able to get there once a week, but I'm so glad I got started. Besides the sweat my biggest challenge was figuring out the dashboards on both pieces of equipment. My writing idol, Nora Ephron said that every time she got into shape, something broke. Having had the following in the last 2 1/2 years I can relate: broken arm, rectal cancer, radiation therapy, 2 kinds of chemotherapy, 3surgeries, a kidney stone, a heart problem. Oh, I forgot the broken ankle.
I just realized something strange. I have a full plate of stress inducing realities right now but I may be happier than any day except when I gave birth. WHY? I am making my way through it. I survived 2 years of hellish cancer treatment all the while taking care of my mother. I wasn't always graceful. I cried in doctors offices all over Tucson. I had to deal with a one incompetent doctor who was trying to dictate what my surgeon should do with me & my first therapist lasted one session. She thought I was feeling sorry for myself. She needs to go work in a drug treatment program. I was not a candidate for tough love in the middle of my cancer treatment.
