matching tracksuits

fun in threes, sometimes fours

the girl

Helping

Monday 19 July 2021

The Boy likes to help, so much so that it sometimes can get in the way. But often it is really sweet how he pitches in. Tonight, for example, he insisted on getting Papa’s evening water prepared, thickened with some magical mystery white powder that turns water into a pudding-like goop that’s easier for Papa to swallow and less risky as well. In the meantime, K was preparping Papa’s dinner: warm blueberry cobbler and ice cream. Soft, easy to chew, tasty — a perfect dinner.

E then excitedly asked if he could help Papa eat.

“Of course,” we said. “Just make sure you go slowly: it’s difficult for him to swallow at times.” And so he stood patiently by Papa’s bed and helped him eat.

Nothing brings Papa back more completely than his grandchildren. Sometimes, when I walk in and greet him, I get no response. He’s off somewhere, seeing something, hearing something — but not there. Then E can walk in right behind me and say, “Hey, Papa,” and he perks right up: “Hey, little buddy.”

Once Papa is ready for his night’s sleep, I headed out to walk the dog while the Boy and K played cards. Last night, it was chess with me.

And L? She’s fourteen — just a little too cool to spend too much time with the family. Plus, she was at work today: she needed some down time.

Consolation

Thursday 15 July 2021

When Papa was in his late thirties or early forties (I can’t really remember), we had a family membership at the local YMCA, and he liked to play basketball. He didn’t like playing with men his age — too slow. He played with the twenty- and twenty-one-year-olds. It was hard and aggressive, and while I can’t really remember how good Papa was at basketball, I do remember how tenacious he was, how he never gave up.

One time he was breaking for the basket, forcing his way through a couple of defenders, when he leaped, shot, landed on his ankle at an angle, and fell in agony with a snap that everyone heard.

As Papa lay there on the floor, rolling about in agony, one of the other players leaned into the group huddled about him and said, “If it’s any consolation to you, sir, you made the basket.”

Tonight, L made a block that won the point but resulted in an ankle injury. A young lady on her team told her, “But L, you won the point.”

The Other Sister

Tuesday 13 July 2021

Papa grew up with six siblings: four sisters and two brothers. The first sibling to go was his youngest brother, who was killed in Vietnam in 1972. I'm named after him but never met him. It was about thirteen years before the next sibling passed, Papa's older brother, who had cancer and died in the mid-eighties. And then there three and a half decades before another sibling passed, followed by another sibling just a year or two later.

And so now there are three of them: a younger sister, Aunt D, who visited Sunday, and the first-born of the entire group of seven, who visited today. Aunt Y doesn't get out much, and the last time she was at our house was for Papa's birthday, probably close to a decade ago. We all used to meet at Aunt D's house for Thanksgiving, but the last time we did that must have been five or more years ago. The last time all three of them were together was at Nana's funeral. What a sad thought that that might indeed be the last time the three surviving siblings are together. But I guess that's the nature of reunions as we all get older.

Cards

Saturday 10 July 2021

Training Clover

Friday 09 July 2021

to be outside the fence and off-leash. The Girl's idea.

Afternoon Game

Tuesday 06 July 2021

Cards

Monday 05 July 2021

In the morning,

and in the afternoon.

First Check

Saturday 03 July 2021

The Girl recently began working at Culver’s, which is a restaurant we’ve passed on a busy road a number of times but which we’ve never given a thought to. We really didn’t even know the type of food they serve. So we were in the dark as much as the Girl.

She’s worked a few short shifts now, and today, she picked up an extra shift through the app the company uses for scheduling employees. Workers can request coverage for unexpected time they want off, and others can pick up that coverage for extra hours. So she went in to work from 4:00 to 8:30 today.

Today, she got her first check.

First Friday

Friday 02 July 2021

The first Friday of this July — we began with a trip to the local pharmacy to get L’s second dose of the covid vaccine. We picked up a couple of suckers while we waited, returning home to find K and E playing Wojna in the kitchen. The Boy won.

In the afternoon, we went to the pool, which to our surprise was completely empty. When we went to Nana’s and Papa’s condo complex’s pool, this was often the case. The pool we joined this year, though, has been crowded every single time we went — except today.

The Girl originally went with the intention of just reading, so she didn’t take her swimsuit. Then she changed her mind. A fourteen-year-old can just tie a knot in her shirt and dive in.

After swimming, the Girl lost the call for shotgun. The Boy has only been able to ride in the front for a little while, and he’s still more comfortable in the back due to habit. But calling shotgun — what’s not to love about that?

 

Myrtle Beach 4

Monday 28 June 2021

Back at home, I finally got a chance to download images from the X100. I used my phone for most pictures (even though I always insisted I would never do that), but a few times I pulled out the little digital rangefinder.