Monday, September 17, 2012

Baking and Eating and Walking

Success! The first attempt baking with the new oven worked really well! I made two plates of baklava and leftover phyllo with a bit of sugar and cinnamon for fun. A smaller pan of this goodness will be sent to William and Kimberly this morning while another will be sent to Betty and Chip in celebration of her being released from the hospital yesterday. Michael had to taste a piece from each pan last evening. They passed his test!

I also made the stuffed zucchini for dinner last night. It, too, turned out well. I am gaining confidence dealing with my new convection oven.

It was a warm, gorgeous day yesterday with some high clouds to keep the temperatures in the 60s. We put the top down on the car, drove over the pass and down the Peninsula to a liquor store for Michael. He was in search of an award winning unique cognac made in Ukiah by Germain-Robin called Old Havana. We couldn't find it anywhere. So, we went to an Il Fornaio in a beautiful hotel in Palo Alto and had brunch. Well, appetizers and salad and iced tea. Specifically, their Antipasto was above the norm and we split a hot spinach and other greens salad topped with grilled scallops, shrimp and calamari. It was so delicious we moaned.

We also were talking with the manager who mentioned a local winery. I paused. I then said I couldn't remember someone's name. It came to me but how do I bring it up gently? He was a man who managed the winery who was in a horrible bicycle accident. He was going very fast downhill and went around a parked truck. What he didn't realize is that the truck was parked on a slight curve, he went around it and hit the curb. He entire face and a number of other bones was shattered. He had no jaw. He had no nose or teeth. His cheek bones were shattered. He spent months in hospitals and rehab centers. He was in horrible pain. I met him years ago at the school where I got sick. He was a great guy married to the Pre-K teacher who had taught there for over 30 years. She was devastated. About six years after the accident, he committed suicide. He lived daily with an extraordinary amount of pain. So, when the manager passed by our table again, Michael told him that I remember a name of a person connected to the winery. The manager paused. I told him how I knew him and we talked about the man and beautiful service at the winery in his memory. The manager knew him well.

It seems so petty to complain after the above story but I am just not sleeping again. I know it is the prednisone but I have been awake since 2AM and I have a busy day ahead. Mom and I will once again search for a microwave, have a bit of lunch then she has an eye test followed by an appointment with the doctor this afternoon. We will be there a few hours and won't be home until rush hour traffic. Thankfully, dinner is already cooked and ready!

I have two goals this week. I am going to work out at the other rehab each day while waiting for approval to go back to the rehab class. Also, Michael and I are committed to walking after dinner each day this week. We'll start off slowly and see how we do. Additional exercise. Much needed additional exercise.

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