238) Passover, 5768

April 19, 2008
Saturday

Morning: The phone rang right at 6:30 am: it was our wake-up-call, ringing “Wake up, Wake up!” As I rolled over and picked up the phone to my ear, I knew that I’d hear nothing and I wondered why I put the phone up to my ear anyway. Who in their right mind would call us at this hotel in Arlington, Texas at 6:30 am? We jump outa bed and are ready to go within about 20 minutes. We go downstairs for the infamous La Quinta breakfast and I am amazed to find real fresh food instead of packaged foods. We grab some stuff and some coffee and head back up to pack and get outa there. We have to pick up Johnny in Denton at 8 and get back to Austin for my 1:30 chair at El Milagro. We wish we had time to lay around and enjoy this suite… it is really nice and comfy and begs us to kick back and relax. "No. We must Go".

Also, waiting in Austin, are Liz’s mom and sis: waiting for Liz to help them finish preparing our Passover meal for tonight. As usual, our Saturday plate is full! We are here at the old La Quinta Conference Center on 157, right beside Six Flags. We (TNOYS) used to use this place all the time for our Metroplex trainings, so when I drove up I was surprised to see that the place looks 100% different. The lady at the desk says, “Oh yeah. The conference center is that field out there. They tore it down and built this new building behind where it used to be. That’s why it looks different to you.”
Weird!

~◊~Lizzie and I drove up here last night for a date! Dayenu!*
~◊~We left the munchkin at her friend’s house overnight. Dayenu!
~◊~We secured this beautiful suite with my “free rooms”. Dayenu!
~◊~We dressed up in our fancy finery! Dayenu!
~◊~We attended my mentor, Wayne Duehn’s, retirement Extravaganza. Dayenu!
~◊~38 Years of teaching, research, and leadership, at one university! Dayenu!
~◊~We visited with Jack’s HBSE professor, Ski Hunter at the bar. Dayenu!
~◊~We visited with friends from afar: both in time and miles. Dayenu!
~◊~We saw Jennifer’s delightful daughter Vivian for the first time. Dayenu!
~◊~We ate dinner with David and Cathe and Bonnie and Jim! Dayenu!
~◊~We had a fabulous salad and excellent cake! Dayenu!
~◊~We listened and laughed at Wayne’s Retirement speech! Dayenu!
~◊~We filled Cathe Jordan with Jack’s agenda for the NASW Board! Dayenu!
~◊~We moved on to the party after the party and visited with Tony Arrangio! Dayenu! ~◊~We met the monster dog Torgor and he sat on Liz’s lap! Dayenu!
~◊~We approved of Wayne’s new wall art! Dayenu!
~◊~We retired to our suite to luxuriate in a really comfy king size bed! Dayenu!
~◊~And... we slept like lambs in lavishness! Dayenu!

After checking out, we cruised up to U of North Texas and woke Johnny up several times along the way and he still wasn’t awake when we were parked in front of his dorm. But he eventually came out with his bag of laundry and various winter things he is bringing home. And, he talked about his post-graduate plans and current classes and work all the way to Waco before crashing out in the back seat. We made it back to Austin in time for dropping off John and Liz at the house before I returned the rental car and headed over for dialysis.

El Milagro: I arrive on time. Joseph the Hulk sticks me and I pointed out where he should stick… and, lo I showed him the spot with no nerves. And lo, it was painless! We are happy. I wonder how nerve endings are dispersed in my arm and make a note to ask Johnny at dinner tonight. Joseph the Hulk smiles too.

The session is uneventful. I doze for awhile. I watch the women’s 8-ball championship: Allison Fisher wins! In the final game she makes a really great jump shot to set up a combo on the 9 for the win. Very COOL! In the back of my mind the things I could be doing to get the house and yard ready for the Seder are rolling around in there. Front porch. I did ask John to pick up the pile of leaves and bush cuttings on the driveway. My brain is rambling around while the blood leaves and gets purged and comes back clean and springy. Part of me keeps and eye on the TV although there is really nothing there that catches my eye. I am ready to move on to the house and relations and seeing my son. Sometimes this dialysis is a real drag!

So it goes.

And now it is time to unhook and zip out to the rest of the day: I note that I can’t just go home and crash out, which I usually do after dialysis.

I have a house full of relations who are waiting for Jack so they can begin our first Family Passover Seder to ever happen on the actual first night of Passover! A historical moment. I’ll have to stay awake, drink a tiny bit of Passover wine (also something I don’t do after dialysis), and act hospitable and friendly… which I can do. The Seder proceedings will be conducted in the traditions of Harold Baldauf, as translated by Larry Baldauf, the current head of the family. The whole thing will be a combination of reading the Haggadah with humor and honor; calling out in unison, “Praised art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, WHO HAST CREATED THE FRUIT OF THE VINE!”; throwing the plastic plague representatives (ants and flies and crickets and two dead cows); eating the many deliciously different Passover foods; and finally singing the Had Gadyo with great FEELING. And, Shayna will read one of the prayers in Hebrew for the first time. It brings a warm feeling to me as I drive and imagine this close future of mine.

Notes: In at 76.5 and out at 74.5 Kgs. Starting BP 105/55.
*Dayenu. Retrieved online from Wikepedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayenu
New Readers: For an INDEX, click January 2008 on the Sidebar and page down to post # 207.