Well, I had firmly decided to sleep in, but found myself awake about about 8am this morning. I cannot at this time remember whether that was 8 Idaho time or California time ... I think it was California time. Which means 9am Idaho time ... Okay, so I did sleep in.
Breakfast was fend for yourself and yesterday's coffee, so I poured myself some raisin bran and joined my parents in the kitchen. We chatted a bit, and they eventually decided to go on a date. My mother began to prepare for a leisurely bike ride with my dad running alongside -- until she saw him grin. They were gone for a while. My youngest brother and my youngest sister and I played a few hands of Canasta while my other sisters variously played the piano and worked on a puzzle. The puzzle is still in progress; I've been informed that all the pieces fit together whether they should or not. Basilisk eventually had to resort to using a tape measure to see whether the frame of outer edge pieces was even the correct dimensions according to the box.
About the time my other brother was considering rising from his bed, my parents returned, just after my grandmother, who had gone to run some errands. My mother was fully exercised, having ridden her bike approximately eight miles, but my dad wasn't done. So, my youngest brother and he went out to continue -- my brother on a bike and my dad again on foot. We at the house lounged around a bit more ... crocheting, talking, reading, and all the things that go along with a day in which you're really not just not trying to accomplish things, but almost trying not to.
Mexican restaurant leftovers from last night and quesadillas for lunch, and then my brother picked up the flute I'd been warming up with for playing trios with my mother and flautist sister and began to play whatever he could think of.
Eventually my father returned -- only to call for a nurse. Which is my mother, of course. It seems that my brother had taken a steep hill at an extreme speed, lost control, crashed the bike, hit the ground, bounced, and hit the ground again. All in all it sounded extremely painful, while not necessarily out of the ordinary for my family. Regrettably. The nurse competently performed triage at the front door, and instructed my brother that he'd feel better after a shower and some ice applied to the scrape. The scrape really wasn't too damaging, but he had significant tenderness and possible bruising around the area, as I'm sure you can imagine.
About the time he had been laid down with his ice, my dad decided he hadn't had enough exercise yet, and took us girls, excepting my mother and grandmother, and my other brother to the park. We roller-bladed there, and had a rousing game of three on three soccer for ... a long time. My lungs are starting to ache again just thinking about it. I received some compliments on my ability, though, which I shall take and run with. Considering I don't play soccer and the rest of them do regularly, I think I did okay. The eleven-year-old only bit the dust five times, I think, and the brother and 13-year-old sister practiced cartwheels a few times. My seventeen-year-old sister played barefoot, and she was quite muddy by the time it began to grow dusky and we headed for home.
Ice cream for dinner; something cool was about what I wanted at that point, anyway. My youngest brother woke from his nap where he'd been ever since ice was applied earlier in the afternoon, and we fed him. He did get up to eat, and sat at the table, but he was still in pain. My other brother told him that he'd read in books that pain was how we knew we were alive; in an effort to help cheer him up, I told him that pain was weakness leaving the body. I'm not sure it helped much, but I hear laughter is the best medicine, and there was certainly plenty of that.
My grandmother and sisters have made enough cookies and candy to feed an army. I couldn't say for sure which army they're expecting, but I'm doing my best to assist. At the height of baking this afternoon I walked in and demanded a gingersnap -- and lo and behold, there were fresh gingersnaps. What a team.
I can hear a movie going faintly in the background now, so perhaps I'll go and see whether I'm missing anything interesting. We're supposed to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium tomorrow, but final arrangements will depend on the physical condition of our invalid. So we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, tally-ho, and lookout for falling mountains. (If there's an earthquake in China from shock waves emanating about this area, where my brother hit with extreme force, I shall be unavailable for comment. Call my agent.)
Bye,
Anemone
Comments (1)
Minor correction: When my mother and father were out together, he was also riding a bike. Still running alongside Jesse, though.
Anemone