Philly Stay-cation, 2017

Jackie went to a convention in Dallas, Texas. I went Karen's house. So began Philly Stay-cation July 2017! My tenure as a flip phone owner is over. I have a new Android with a camera that takes selfies. My grandchildren were there for the first three days. My children visited. This stay-cation was different from last year's. This year Karen was off for the summer, and I didn't fix anything. I played!

The activities were plentiful. The kids painted birdhouses, and Karen was the last to finish. Brian visited that day. Jeffrey listened to music just like his Grandpop! We went to a park with floor fountains. Of course, there was a skyline in the distance. Everything was good!

We visited Spruce Street Harbor Park at Penn's Landing. There were hammocks to try, giant toys to play with, history, and beautiful scenery to look at. Across the river you could see where the 76ers practice. The USS Olympia and the Moshulu were there. Its been years since I've seen them.

Karen thought it would be fun to see a movie at City Hall. The film would be Beauty and the Beast. We got there and brought chairs and blankets and parked ourselves. After a few minutes, the heat was unbearable. After a few more minutes, there were people in front of us sitting on tall chairs. People were talking, and there was faint sound from the projector. Long story short, There would not be a movie for us. What we did was go over to the floor fountains. The kids loved it and it was cool enough to enjoy standing and seeing the lights on the trees and seeing City Hall. Everyone had a blast!

Sunday brunch was delicious. Eggs, pancakes, potatoes, bacon, and everything! The family was there! After the meal, it was time for the little munchkins to go home. It was sad to see them go, but what memories!

On Mifflin Street, there is a building called Bok. It used to be a vocational school. Now it is a bar on the top floor of the building. You can see the city and Camden from the bar. I was mesmerized looking at the skylines and the tops of the houses. It behooved me to take a selfie on my new phone!

Jackie was delayed in a layover in Chicago due to the weather. The stay-cation was supposed to end on Sunday evening. Jackie arrived Tuesday morning. A bonus Sunday evening and Monday for me! Tiring day for Jackie...

 Passyunk Avenue has been revived in parts with restaurants and stores, and the sides of the buildings beautified with murals.

It was the next morning. I got up at six o'clock and made some coffee and sat at the table and chairs on the front of the house.  Peaceful! Reading, drinking my coffee, and not ready for the day!

There is a bench and coffee table in the backyard built by Karen for me to relax after I am finished with the front! 

The fog was terrible in the morning. The skyscrapers looked like they were a smoking mess until the sun peered.

Finally, we went to Independence Mall and looked around. The Liberty Bell is one my favorite attractions. I have a new phone and it behooved me to take a selfie, again!

Where do all the hippest meet?

We finished with Independence Mall and went to South Street.

We strolled and looked at all the markets, shops, and Jim's Steaks. Huge Cheese Steaks with onions and mushrooms - the diet will have to wait. Wow! Surrounding the place were autographs of hundreds of stars that were there over the years, like Tony Bennett, Halls and Oates, Billy Joel, Peter Paul and Mary, James Taylor, and Pat Sajak. 

In 1963, the song South Street was a hit. The record and cover were on display. I remember it from that time, but I haven't been to South Street until now.

Where do all the hippest meet?

South Street, South Street!

Off South Street, there was a thrift store named Philly AIDS Thrift. There were thousands of CD's! I have to go back and look at all the CD's I haven't looked at! Evening Scrabble was a nice way to end the day and unfortunately, the Philly Stay-cation...

Family, food, selfies, pictures, music, activity.

Another Stay-cation, please!

Bittersweet

This past Sunday we had company. The kids assembled at our house to see an old neighbor and good friend visiting from California. Jackie had a volunteer duty and would be joining us for dinner. We showed our friend the changed neighborhood with the tall trees and the new homes and the changed homes. We went to Wolf's Hollows County Park and they all went walking on the trails and I started reading. I was sitting on a picnic table bench. The next thing I can remember is my kids screaming my name and hurrying to get to me. My head was resting on the table. Dad!' 'Dad!' 'Are you all right?' At first I was in a stupor. It was a wonderful nap! After a few minutes, I felt invigorated. The kids got over it and I was fine!

Sandwiched in between Minch and Wolf's Hollow Parks was a visit to the schools. Our friend had not seen the newer buildings - has it been that long? We visited the older buildings, and my daughter snapped this picture of me in front of the Elementary School. We said that we have graduated, even retired me! The next day, I received a prerecorded phone call from the Superintendent of the District. It said that I would receive an email about the staff events and the beginning of the school year.

Bittersweet...

Retire

R

Retire. The age you're supposed to be when you are stopping. Going. Leaving. Going to a better life after finishing the job. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was sixty, not going, not leaving, still finishing the job, and loving the way it was supposed to be. But health got in the way. Now I have retired.

E

Entering a new life. Writing. Reading. Solving crossword puzzles. Walking. Cooking. Word With Friends. It's supposed to be this way. Writing a blog that I love and you will love or not love. Reading again and loving it after finishing the  novel "For One More Day" in twenty-two days and finding a non-fiction book by the same author, Mitch Albom, and starting "Have a Little Faith." Solving crossword puzzles that are a little more complicated than the easy puzzles. Walking to the library, the post office, or just walking around the block. Cooking that will never match you know who's cooking but will improve. Words With Friends, that game that gets us to stay in touch, challenging us, and annoying us a little.

T

Take. Take it easy. Take care. Take a deep breath. Take charge. Take a little. Take a lot. I have been taught about taking. Now I have to give...Give back. Give because I am retired.

I

I. I am retired. I miss the kids in school. I miss my colleagues. I miss the rest. Retired means I can't be there anymore. The kids were what I was there for. The colleagues were my people, all of them, and I love all of them. I miss the rest: hellos to everyone in the hallway, helping whenever I could, learning whenever they taught. I am retired.

R

Rest, relax, recharge. Health got in the way. Rest because I need to. Relax because I want to. Recharge because I can rest and relax in time and start again with whatever I choose to do.

E

Eager. Eager for the future. Doing. Creating. Volunteering. Working. Playing. Yearning for the past. Eager for the memories. Beautiful memories. I am retired.

A Slow Read

I've been feeling much better these days. My walking has improved as the hesitation in my right leg is almost negligible I walk. This is thanks to physical therapy which ended at the end of December. My right hand grips much better as I work around. This is thanks to Occupational therapy which ended at the end of January. There are hardly any signs of paralysis expect for my handwriting, which has shrunk. At the end of March I got certified to drive again. I have finished Speech therapy as of the end of April. I can form words well, but the words don't like me. The noise processor does not work well, and in crowds or small groups, I can't function. If it is quiet, I can read. I can read the headlines of an article, and if it amuses me, I can slowly read it. People say that I look good. That's is a miracle. If I talk with an individual I can talk well, but noise and talk are the enemy. All in all, things are getting better.

So now I've begun reading books. I started with a book I received for my birthday called "The 10 Essential Hugs Of Life". I was a slow read but I made it through it. Large print, short chapters, and just reading. Four weeks later - done! I really thought that it was about different hugs you share, but it examines hugging your parents, your family, your job, your past, your future, and especially your self metaphorically-150 pages of easy practicing. Still slow, I liked reading!

Now it was time for a novel. In the recent years, I've been attracted to heartwarming tales that tell a good story with a complicated man as the focus. Problems, a past, a stubborn streak, and a little curmudgeon thrown in. "A Christmas Carol", "Calico Joe", "A Redbird Christmas: A Novel", and "Tuesdays With Morrie". I wanted to read a book like the others. So I went to the library - first time since 2014, before the strokes. I was overwhelmed. The aisles were so small. There was talking. So many titles. I wanted to leave. On my way out, I stumbled upon a section where "Tuesdays With Morrie" was featured...and I found the author, Mitch Albom. Eureka, I have a book - "For One More Day"!

Eight days of this book and I can slowly read. Eight days of reading about this complicated soul, with problems, a past, a stubborn streak, and a little curmudgeon thrown in - 47 pages in - and I have to read every day...and I want to!

Then and Now - Ramblings

It was a miracle.
It's been three months. 
Like the first stroke, I was awake.
It was a miracle.
I remember the commands from Jackie: "Joe, talk to me." 
I could see her, there was no voice to respond to her commands.
Different than the first, there was no sunshine. 
I was flying in the sky. 
It was a long journey from the house to the first station, 
and even longer to the city.
But it was a miracle.
Different from the first stroke, a new procedure was done.
Mechanical thrombectomy. 
It was not a common term, but it was the best thing to come out of this debacle.  
The tube, the artery to the brain, and the clot that was no more: like 1, 2, 3, and the blood flowed. 
It was a new thing to consider the dinner table. 
It was a miracle.

It was a nightmare.
Like the first stroke, I left the city hospital. 
Different than the first stroke, I went to a rehab hospital.
It was a nightmare.
I was checked in, a peek at my records and there was trouble. 

A name and a birthday date were the only facts that were correct. 

Diabetes - No! Blood Pressure - No! Any condition - No! 

Here's to the professional who corrected data, and no foreign medication administered to me.
I wanted to go home.

It was a nightmare.
Different than the first the stroke, I was not home. 
I was checked from top to bottom. Nobody asked. They just did. 

They checked EVERYTHING. 
I was escorted to the bathroom, and was not alone until I was sitting. 

When I was done, I called and they came. 

I stood up.

When I took a shower, I had company. 

When I shaved I had company.

Safety first. 

In hindsight, it was a miracle. 

At the time it was a nightmare.

It was a just a little mistake.
Like the first stroke, I was making blunders.
I could not find my keys,
and they should have been on the key rack.
I couldn't find them anywhere.
I looked everywhere.
"Did you look on the key rack?"
said you-know-who.
It was just a little mistake.
There was a rack of spoons around the corner.
After hours of looking...
There it was.
Just like keys misplaced, like crackers in the fridge,
It was just a little mistake.
Luckily, there are mistake organizers for pills.

White, yellow, orange, pink, blue...
Like the first stroke, there are many. 
There were none before the first stroke.
A rainbow helps correct the confusion because
It was a just a little mistake.



It is a blessing.
Like the first stroke, there were many things that were not working.
The outpatient physical and occupational therapists brought my to an acceptable level.
My right side continues to improve.
It is a blessing.
Like the first stroke, there were no words, and there words now.
It's going to be an uphill climb, but there will be some kind of sense of what ticks in my brain.
The speech therapist will help me, and she already does.
It is a blessing.
Like the first stroke, there have been friends...
Friends who have been there, good friends, praying friends.

They are a blessing.

Some friends have suffered with illness, older and younger.
They inspire me to go on with this journey I must face.

I admire them for going on with their journeys. I pray for their speedy recovery.
It is a blessing.
I have my family. 
Like the first stroke, they came to me.
They are mine. I am theirs.
No words. Just love.
It is a blessing.

A new year of plentiful miracles and blessings to all, 

and no nightmares and no little mistakes...