Yes, three boxes. Actually, two of them were Hamburger Helper and one was Chicken Helper (with the same zaftig white glove on each box—no doubt the love child of Poppin' Fresh and the Platex Gloves hand model): Sweet & Sour Chicken Helper, Three Cheese Hamburger Helper and Stroganoff Hamburger Helper. I cooked the Stroganoff.
It was fairly brainless. The results were dismal. If I'd taken 10 extra minutes I could have made the dish from scratch and it wouldn't be sitting in my stomach, a chemical clod daring to be digested. I've always eschewed food stuffs and mixes out of a box (especially cakes, cookies and brownie mixes), and now I am once again reminded why.
Things are really lonely around the house with Steve in "the home." It's only about a 10-minute drive from here, and I try to get over there twice a day (though sometimes I only make it once). Steve is looking really good, and you can tell little bits of mobility are returning as the bones heal. I think we've both pretty much emerged from the emotional devastation of this whole experience (although Steve has most of the physical recovery still ahead of him).
His major frustration right now is being unable to move much of anything. He has his one good hand (the right, and he's left-handed) and he's unable to move the other arm at all, so there is very little he can accomplish. I can't bring books because he can't easily hold them and turn the pages. I mentioned downloading the Kindle app for iPhone, since he does have that with him, but he didn't seem to enthusiastic about the idea; he had the same reaction to my suggestion of a DVD player, or mentioning the fact that he can download movies on his iPhone and watch them with his ear buds in so as not to disturb his roommate, Ed.
Ed also broke his hip. He has a studied crotchety, sour old-man façade, but he's really a pretty nice guy. This evening his wife was visiting and I finally got introduced: Her name is Kit. I told her the tale of the Kitties in my family (great aunt, aunt, sister, niece) and how the name's passed down, a sibling naming his or her first female child after his or her sister Kittie. Ed's wife's is a family surname, Kitson, but the generational thing is still true.
It's really a relief to be on speaking terms with everyone in the hospital room. They know I'm Steve's husband, and I'm not shy about kissing him goodbye when I leave. Ed's a retired architect, and he loves to complain about how computers are ruining the art and craft of design. He may be a technophobe, but I do see him eyeing Steve's iPhone with jealousy, as there are no phone extensions in the rooms.
I'm feeling slightly a shambles: the house needs a good cleaning, I haven't had a decent meal in a week, and all I can think about is getting Steve back home, with a walker or not, because I am so crazy-lonely for him. Having other folks drop over just isn't the same thing as being with the person you love.
The cats still yowl every evening for Steve. The get up on the couch where he usually sits and circle round and round, like dogs making a nest for the night; after a bit, they hop down, get a bite to eat, make a pit stop at the litter box, then head back upstairs to sleep.
In the studio, I'm starting design work in earnest on the chamber of commerce directory, but it's slow going. It's very important to take time in building the master template, since the entire book relies on it for visual consistency. Building type styles and graphic styles and the element library is important, so that revising a style updates all 96 pages. Along with that, I have a new website I'm building for a local poet, which should be a lot of fun and super artsy-craftsy.
My friend Jessie is coming over on Saturday moring, and we're taking a danish and coffee brunch over to Steve's room. I'm really looking forward to that, since she brings such great energy with her, and I'm hoping Steve will get infected by it. I'm sure she'll bring great danish, as well.
Not much else to report. It's been almost two weeks since Steve's slip and fall. I'm hoping that means only four to six weeks more away from home. Still, that will be around Halloween. At least we'll start the holiday season with my honey home.
If anyone wants to send Steve a card or some flowers, the address is:
Californian-Pasadena Convalescent Hospital
120 Bellefontaine St.
Room 15-D
Pasadena, CA 91105
You can also give him a call on his cell phone: 818-807-7077.
I know for positive certain he would love to hear from you. If you'd rather send things here, I can ferry them over with me when I visit.
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