Taking A Sick Day!

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Poof, just like that!

Mary woke up with a cold this morning, so I brought in toast, coffee, apple sauce, and a fresh peach from Harry & David.  I knew she was not feeling well!   Keeping the Energizer Bunny horizontal on such a beautiful day requires extreme effort!  The doctor needs a doctor, so I plan to borrow her stethoscope and walk around in my green sweats with the rectal thermometer showing!  (OMG, did I say that?)

Happy anniversary to Joe and Amy, celebrating twenty years of marriage.  They are a fantastic couple whose company we genuinely enjoy.  They were off to Disneyland, where my romantic son proposed to Amy.  The apple does NOT fall far from the tree!

We love you guys!!

I decided that we were NOT going to visit Irene today, as dragging in germs into her environment would not be good.  We called her instead.    We got a picture from Maria, her daughter.  Irene is doing better, enjoying a Krispy Kreme donut —the Greek answer to Jewish Penicillin!

Krispy Kreme; better than medications any day!!

We stayed inside most of the day, but did manage to bring Jeff two peaches from Harry & David.  Mary is a long-term customer of Harry & David, and they offered her a special package of Oregon peaches and cherries, so we shared it with Jeff.  The peaches were perfect!!

Harry and David, LLC (Harry and David) is an American-based premium food and gift producer and retailer.  The company sells its products through direct mail, online, corporate gifting, and in its flagship location in Medford, Oregon, and operates the brands Harry & David, Wolferman’s, and Vital Choice.  Harry & David was founded in 1910 by Samuel Rosenberg as Bear Creek Orchards in Medford, Oregon, as a premium fruit company.

Harry and David, LLC (Harry and David) circa 1920s

I got ready to go to the Elks while Mary stayed in bed with her cold.  Robin, Bob, and Nick picked me up, providing excellent transportation!  Tonight was a luau at the Elks.  I would have stayed home, but I lost track of who I had invited and wanted to make sure everyone had a seat.  Our table of ten grew to a table of thirteen!!

A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast that often includes food, music, and hula dancing.  The word “luau” originally referred to the young taro leaves used in some dishes, but the term eventually came to encompass the entire feast.  Luaus are a celebration of Hawaiian culture and a way to share food and entertainment with family and friends.

Jim and Vicky were already there when we arrived, along with Gail and Danika.  We arrived, found our table, and got instructions to head for the parrots.  We went back to the front door and got our pictures taken with the guests of the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bird and family!

1.  What do you get when you cross a parrot with a centipede?  A walkie-talkie!

2.  What do you get if you cross a parrot with a pigeon?  Voice mail.

Looking good!

Bob seems to attract the birds; he was covered in feathers!  How many bird brains do you see?

Bob has newfound friends!

Using our secret parrot language translation device, we heard the plan!

The plot almost works!

Why am I getting the Evil Eye?   I was NOT going to kiss him without getting feathers in my mouth!  He must have found out how the maneuver is accomplished and decided, “No Way, Jose!” When you see me, ask how it is done, and you will know why he is watching me.

How did he know?

I was joined by Robin, Bob, and Nick this evening as Mary was “down for the count”.   When I showed up without Mary, everyone got worried and sent Mary their thoughts for a quick recovery.   I needed to check on the guests and seating to make sure everything was OK!

One leaves the nest and three take his place!

Nick was trying to communicate with the bird in Texan, but there was a definite communication gap!

Did you hear about the geometry teacher who left his parrot’s cage open?  Polygon.

Say something there, “Ya’ll,” or I will practice my BBQ skills on you!

What do you get when you cross a parrot and a lion?  I don’t know, but if it wants a cracker, you better give it one!

Dinner was served, and it was traditional Hawaiian fare!  Donna was a bit suspicious!

With trained chefs, they can make SPAM look like anything!

There were interesting comments from the folks having dinner!

Our resident food critic

What does poi taste like?  Poi has a unique taste and texture that can be somewhat difficult to describe.  It is made from the cooked and pounded root of the taro plant, which gives it a slightly sweet and earthy flavor.  The texture is smooth and creamy, similar to a thick pudding or mashed potatoes.

 

We had a thirty-minute performance of dances of the South Pacific Islands, including Hawaii.   Hips were flying in all directions.  They called for volunteers and I sat on my hands!  I was afraid my tummy would come up and slap me in the face, plus at my age, pieces may fall off if I shake too hard!

I decided I was not ready for prime time!

Now the serious dancing gets underway!  Ronnie spotted me and started the evening off with the “Liles Hokey Pokey”.  I was able to get almost forty people up from their tables and form a large circle.  All eyes were on me, so I did the special Hokey Pokey (that means I didn’t fall once).

Jim and I threw in a little Neil Diamond just for fun!!

Sandee and Bill took to the floor after the Hokey Pokey and showed us all how ballroom dancing is supposed to be done!

Sandee and Bill go all out this evening!

We stayed until about 9:00 pm, as I wanted to get home, see my bride, and make sure she was OK.  Bob got us home in no time, and they came in for a couple of minutes to pick up some stuff they left earlier.

Mary was fine but a little hungry, so I fed her some tomato basil soup.   We had several cans of “comfort soups” in the pantry.

The result was yummy for the tummy!

As I was preparing for bed, I went to get some water from the garage.  When I put my hand into the water container, I found Jeff’s house key.  It had dropped out of Mary’s hand while she was working with the small garage trash can.   This find was another mystery solved!

Hiding in plain sight!

We crashed, but tonight, I slept in Robin’s Nest to stay away from Mary’s cold.  We both knocked off to sleep around 10:30 pm.

About Paul

Just an old retired guy trying to finish out my last years on this planet. I lost my best friend and wife in early 2020. I was blessed again by reconnecting with Dr. Mary Côté, a long-time friend. Mary and I got married July 28th, 2021, and are enjoying life together and plan to spend the rest of our lives being a blessing to our friends and family.
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