Saturday 9

THE PERFECT FAN (1999)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, a son thanks his mother for helping him grow up strong and confident. Who is the last person you thanked? What did they do for you? The checker at Whole Foods.
 
2) Who was the last person to thank you for something? A coworker. I really delivered Friday, especially when you consider that I was playing hurt.
 
3) This is from the Backstreet Boys' album Millennium, recorded and released in 1999. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when 1999 turned into 2000? I don't recall doing anything special that night. I think I was too freaked out by Y2K rumors/conspiracies.

4) This song was written by Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell. Brian voiced himself on an episode of PBS' Arthur. Arthur has been described as an "animated anthropomorphic aardvark" -- which can be difficult to say. Do you easily get tongue tied? Only at the worst times.
 
5) The French word for "mother" is "mère." What other French words do you know? "Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble." 

6) Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and St. Patrick's Day. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought? I sent a Mother's Day card to my aunt/godmother.
 
7) Have you put away your winter clothes yet? I really should.
 
8) Mother Winters used to scold Sam for leaving her dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as a grown up, she's still a bit of a slob. Do lean toward "neat" or "messy?"

That's me on the left

  
9) To celebrate Mother's Day, Sam is giving away her mother's favorite: Hershey Bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate with almonds? Right now, I think I'm in the mood for dark chocolate.

Dear John

My old friend John is having health troubles. It's been at least a year since he's cared about food. He only eats before bed, usually a sandwich of some sort. Sometimes he'll have a snack during the day, but he doesn't get hungry and he doesn't enjoy eating.

He doesn't walk easily, having lost a toe to diabetes in 2016. But for the last two months, he's found any physical activity exhausting. Even folding laundry.

So he's finally going to do it: he's going to get the defibrillator his doctors first recommended a decade ago. OK, that's not quite accurate. 10 years ago, a different cardiologist wanted to implant a pacemaker. But that physician has retired and, I guess, technology and terminology have evolved in a decade. So now it's a defibrillator.

I'm glad and I'm mad. Glad that he's finally doing it. I love him and want him around for years to come! Mad that he waited, literally, 9 1/2 years. He's a decade older, a decade weaker, than when the procedure was first recommended.

Oh, well. I have slowly learned that I can't run everyone's lives for them, much as I would like to. All I can do is love and support him. And pray.

"Love that chicken from Popeye's"

Not so much.

Worked late Thursday night and treated myself to a two-piece chicken order to go. Some treat. I've been subsisting on Immodium, water and crackers for 36 hours.

Friday I worked from home and actually did get some stuff done: finished a pair of works in progress and handled calls. Buoyed by my productivity, I ran a couple of errands in the evening sun and felt OK.

I woke up this morning hopeful, but my gut cruelly dashed my hopes.

Lesson learned: When I'm at the train station food court, and Popeye's is the only fast food restaurant that doesn't have a line, there may be a reason.