in sickness as in health -

In sickness as in health, he's my "high-maintenance" boy.
Always with his long list of "to-do's", checking, checking, checking.
As if life were a training course, as if there were going to be a test.
Leaving a room, leaving a town, leaving a country, it didn't matter.
Checking the doors, checking the phone bill, checking the will and testament.
And so to this.  Knows where this hose leads, where that cord has to go.
Which one is the epidural, which the catheter, which the bag, which the food.
How to get the hoses through the sleeve of the robe, the power cord wound and clipped.
All for the 7 minute walk down the hall, dodging patients just arriving from surgery,
the young cleaning guy who gives me my crossword puzzle answer -
It's "Dan" - oh yah, he was with the Miami Dolphins - a great QuarterBack,
Our "be right back" evening nurse, the meal cart piled high with inedibles.
I know he's already checking his "to-do" list for re-entry -
to the hospital bed that never sleeps.

Hospitals are not interested in the internet.  When you enter them, you leave the world of computers behind.  You don't see them in any of the wards.  Patients have to leave their computers at home.

Television?  Yes, you ask for a bed with a TV, then the TV lady comes around, and you sign on the dotted line.  (what year is this?  Hello!)  

But computers? No.

It makes you realize where you sit on the "computer reliance" scale.

If you are at a certain number on that scale, it really hits home -  about your need for the internet. The web sites, the blogs, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times, American Public Radio web sites, and your son's radio station where you can listen to him on the air whenever you want, no matter where you are. Touching base with your grandchildren on Facebook every day, reading their posts, looking at their pictures.  Watching your youngest grandchild learning how to walk.  The email.  All your family and friends - Your brother's heart problems, the important updates - I mean this is your life, right?  This is really what your life has become. If we can't get the internet, we're out . You can't 'go back' after having your personal world and the rest of the world at your fingertips with the click of a key.

nice nothing

I get a real "high" from a good crossword puzzle.
We're driving in the car to the mall.  "nice nothing" I say to Merv.  "Anything come to mind?  I think it starts with an 'r'".
"Rice?  Nice Rice?  Mind you, I don't even like rice.  And what do they mean by the nothing thing" he says.
After major Rectal Cancer Surgery, he's lying in his hospital bed and I try again.
"You know, it seems to be an 'ri' - what do you think?" Silence.
His favorite nurse "Sam" comes in to change his dressing.  It's like a video.  We see the stoma and the incision and the staples - she cleans it and measures the stoma to make sure she has the right size for the opening, and I'm so impressed with her prowess.  Merv is all smiles.  He's always talking about Sam.  "Where did you train?" he asks.  "Did you ever want to be an operating nurse?"
"Not really.  Not enough responsibility.  Here on this busy ward, I have to do everything.  I love all the rushing about."
As she's picking up her stuff to leave,  I say "Do you know anything about astrology?  Would Leo be something to do with August?
"Oh, yah! That's mine. I was born in August.   And you were talking earlier about that fish?  That's "Nemo" for sure."
"Isn't she just something else!" Merv says?
We were having a desk delivered a couple of weeks ago.  I was stuck with an animal who was the cousin of some animal I'd never heard of. The delivery guy says "You got any letters?  Ends in er?  That would be 'badger' - for sure.  I happen to know that for sure".
Can you believe it?  He was dead right.  And he was so good-looking, this kid.
Anyway, back to nice nothing.
 I look at the 'down' word.  Hmmmmm.  Looks like it has to be another vowel after 'i' !  That's doesn't sound right.
And yet ! ! !   And yet ! ! !
"nice nothing"
"That's it!  I've got it!  It's NEECE!  As in France!  Nice, France.  They want the french word for 'nothing'.  rien!  That's it - rien
What could be more fun than coming up with this word?
I'm thrilled.  Talking a bit loudly.  I know that the other guys in the room don't have the faintest idea what I'm talking about.  I don't care.
Later on, I'm cleaning Merv's dentures and I come out of the little bathroom.  The 90 year old guy says "How come you knew that french word ?"
"I don't know. It just came to me. Like lightening.  It just came to me".

The sailors are in Victoria!

The city of Victoria is busy.
Traffic is heavy.  And nervy.  A little old lady suddenly swerves over 2 lanes to get where she wants to go.  And we're right behind her.  Merv swears.
"She's just a little old lady. Don't swear at her!"
"You're a little old lady, too!" he laughs.  (I admire her hutzpah.)
If you ask the GPS in your car to give you a list of golf courses 'close by' you have 20 choices within 5K.  But try to find a golf shop.  We find one Nevada Bob's.  Then we find a Golf Town in Langford which is just outside of Victoria.  I get a jacket and pair of pants on sale.
Victoria is one of Canada's favorite cities.  The ocean, the wharfs, the Empress Hotel, the Parliament Buildings all in such a dramatic setting.
The spring plants are bursting with flowers and fresh green sprouts.  The green vines on the Empress Hotel are really getting deep and solid.  Merv loves the look.
We re-visited a golf course to check out the back nine.  We knew from being here in the summer last year that they were working on this.  We golf with a great couple.  He's a "navy" type.  Was based in Esquimalt and they're for the weekend.  It's such a great golf course! - sweeping fairways and water falls and dramatic views on the tee boxes.  And not a house in sight.  We'll come back again and again to this awesome beauty.  Price be damned.  Highland Green.
The town is filling with sailors just like Harvey, our golf partner.  A huge international Naval gathering to celebrate the 100th year of the Naval Base at Esquimalt, B.C..  Every day there are more and more sailors.  Three were in our elevator this morning.  On our way home we find out there's a huge fireworks show on tonight.  Oh well, we hope it goes well.  We'll be back in Victoria another time.  And another time after that.