Home

I’m so happy to finally be home. Eric and I had a week off work with NO airline tickets and we spent the whole thing running away from home. I want to stay here forever and sit in my lazy boy, eat food from my pantry, watch my TV, sew on buttons,  read my books. If I’m seized with a torrent of ambition, I’ll play the piano.  But what did we do all week? Snow shoed at Mt. Rainier, biked to Redmond Town Center, (discovered the Three Lion Pub where I should take Rafi!)  Kayaked the Sammamish River, skied at Crystal Mountain with Lauren and Carlos, and endured a deafening announcer at the Mat Classic State Wrestling championship in Tacoma. Andy and Summer were both state level contenders!  We did stay at Hotel Murano in Tacoma…

Oh, one more excursion- as soon as Summer lost her second match at State, I drove her to Portland for Junior Statesmen of America in the Doubletree.I’d like to chaperone that if I ever leave home again- the kids debate issues like marijuana legalization, secession of the NW states to form Cascadia, banning of factory farming for animal rights, widespread government promotion of hybrid cars, and one proposed bill wanted to end all subsidzed housing. Oh, another proposed to end all governement sactionned marriage so that gays and straights alike could enter civil unions instead. The kids at JSA wore  dresses and suits and milled around the fancy hotel lobby carrying laptops.

Big contrast from the Mat Classic where Carol, Eric, and I experienced  2000 wrestlers in one room…  wrestlers with bulky deltoids and biceps  would whip off their caps to reveal the  long hair of a girl. Muscular boys would toss each other around the mat like rag dolls. Mental and physical energy  was focused on  keeping opponents shoulder blades flat on the mat long enough for the ref to slap the mat and blow his whistle. Summer was calm and looked formidable with strong,  wide shoulders and muscular legs, and her chin held high. Coach Andy Wong texted her  that all the coaches were proud of the excellent work she did this season. It is unusual for a first year wrestler to make it to state competition.   I slept in Portland before turning around to pick up Eric in Tacoma. Carol  and I passed on I5 as she drove south and I drove north.

Tonight, we brought Summer home from the Portland to Issaquah bus. Before I took my coat off, my neighbor asked me to look at her one week old son, Hunter Benjamin. He was nice and pink but had nasal flaring, subcostal retractions and a little grunting when flat on his back. I had to advise her to take him in to the hospital for additional observation.  Oh I feel for my neighbors. They have to leave this cozy cul de sac that I’m going to cling to for a long time. I’m so glad my parents are coming here soon. One more reason I don’t need to go anywhere.  I’ll be glad when Hunter’s back for a long restful stay too.

Novelist bootcamp, zumiez, and physicians without borders.

Emmy’s doing quite a bit of modeling for Zumiez. First her torso and chin appeared on their website. Then: waist up, smiling face showing.  And a head to toe appearance is next. She’s even modeling their shoes. Also,  they’re transferring  photos to a thumb drive so she can build a portfolio. I need to detach further from her business though. She’s leaning away from lifeguard teacher training this week-end as if she’ll have future opportunities and I just told her it could be this week-end or never. Her boss thinks the training is important and she wants to be a head guard. She got mad at me of course. I need to stay out of it. She’s not headed to be a pro lifeguard anyway.

I’m ahead of schedule on book planning but I’m going to redo all the steps to make them stronger before I start the draft. I’m glad the schedule’s in place so I can’t berate myself for taking more time to make the character cards, scene lists, character matrix and BIC stronger.

Work’s great as usual. I’m nudging Roberto to quit smoking (enlist help from your kids and buy patches!) I’m encouraging a 35 year old to add yoga, cycling and swimming since his running obessession is hurting his knees and back. And several patients and I are doing every last thing we can do to prevent cancer. I”m helping a newly pregnant 34 year old control and monitor her blood pressure. My office is clean and my hours beautifully controlled.

With a little help from Eric, Lauren seems to be doing just fine in computer science, her most challenging class at UW. I love how calmly she takes the whole college thing. She’s sweet and helps a lot around the house.

Sebastian and I beat Roger and Chris today in pickle ball. Also, Lillian and I beat Curt and Jim and we’ve also beat Curt and Gary. We’re moving up.

Summer lost her wrestling match against a Redmond High School 119 lb sophomore JV guy. She only lost by 2 points. Now, the spotlight’s on the varsity kids and Andy will be wrestling soon.

Plus tomorrow’s supposed to be partly sunny which is as close as we get to sunny and Denni, Luke, Eric and I are skiing at Crystal Mtn tomorrow!  And tomorrow night, Eric and I are  finally going to temple.

A guy at pickleball suggested I take my French speaking medical skills to Haiti for the earthquake.  That is one horrible idea! But I am volunteering for Earthcorps and a free clinic. Also, I told Eric that if our overseas sabatical with Microsoft doesnt’ work out, I could work for medecins sans frontier (it’s actually a paid position) and he could come. That’ll keep him on track for Microsoft in France! Doctors without Borders badly needs French speaking doctors but they ONLY go to the worst places on earth.  Also, I still want to do volunteers for Israel.

Mr Harvard Freshman

He won. Ruth Lidawer, our cousin, survived the concentration camps and moved to Miami looking like a 7 year old at age 16. Now, her grandson is Mr. Harvard Freshman. How can anyone else be excited about their college kids?

Today, as usual,I worked too long before lunch. Walking home ravenous, I vowed to eat, relax and return to work on time… no extra projects today. Once again, Emily had magically reappeared in Bellevue from Bellingham. But she was rushing to put on make up and depart for an orchestra concert in Yakima. Apple, tofu, rice, clean up…and…

“I want to go to Florida for 6 weeks this summer, study in California and work at Sea World, stay in Bellingham on week-ends, get an apartment with Lucille…” Emily blurted out rushing down the stairs thickly lashed eyes tearing up. “I don’t want to switch schools just for some guy!” “If I bring up anything that takes me away, Andy gets so upset!” “I’m not going to Bellevue College and I really like Western.”

Emily was listening to her intuition and facing some really difficult decisions. Andy seemed like he’d walk down the aisle with her any day of the week and no parent could possibly disapprove of Andy. Both Andy and Lauren badly want Emily to transfer to Univ of Washington in Seattle.

For once, when I apologized to my first patient, I wasn’t berating myself even though I was a full 5 minutes late. Those 5 were needed at home.

I dove right into anxiety week at Gwen’s office. One patient, overwhelmed by her toddler quickly aborted when she discovered a second pregnancy. Now, she worries incessantly about her 2 year old, waking up 4 times a night to give her drinks and change her diapers. Another, determined not to ruin her make up by crying, suffered from exploding tears describing the panic she suffered for weeks from the pain and bewilderment of undiagnosed reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Now, 8 years later, a swollen ankle pushed her towards an imaginary abyss. A retired engineer worries that irregular heartbeats will knock his newly replaced heart valve out of place. And a 13 year old describes the text messages she sends her friends…impotent attempts to ease her depression.

“ANSWER” says an angry text from Lauren. Finally at 5:30 PM, I call her back. “Just 2 things,” she says.” There’s a large envelope from UW here for Emily and I’m going out to dinner with Sophie.”

“O..M..G..” was Emily’s text when she heard. “Now I have some decisions to make.” During her drive home from Yakima, Emily has to choose between her wonderful suite mates, independence, and professors at Western Washington Univ. and her family and friends here at home. Also, she’s considering studying industrial engineering, only offered at Univ.of Washington. She also wants to spend 6 weeks in Florida this summer with her grandparents and cousins. I warned her NOT to mention this until she’s sure or she’ll break hearts of all ages in that state.

Lauren has decided to train for Seattle’s Rock N Roll Half Marathon in March when her book is finished and she’s trying to get it published. I guess UW permits her a little extra time on the side. Carlos is reporting from Guadalajara to her side promptly on Valentine’s Day.

Summer is wrestling in a regional girls tournament in Sedro Woolley tomorrow. If she wins her 1st and 3rd matches, she’ll qualify for State: the Mat Classic in the Tacoma Dome next week-end. Sunday, Summer and her boyfriend plan to start Valentine’s Day at 9 AM so it lasts longer. And in case she doesn't make it to state, Summer will go to Portland for a debating event. Andy says he'll wrestle in the state meet without a doubt.

I’m very happy for Ari Lidawer and his mom, Annette. I hope his grandmother feels her own incredible accomplishment in this. I, like billions of other parents, am bursting with knowledge more secret than Annette’s but just as certain: my children are the best in the universe.

the quartet played as the titanic sank

The NRDC economist said we’re looking into the abyss. Big coal has spent decades funding faux science to deny climate change. The chamber of commerce beat even Exxon mobile on billions of dollars spent on lobbyists. Democrats are included in the club of lawmakers that make $250k + per year from coal and oil interests. There are 5 dirty energy lobbyists for every lawmaker. Warren BuffetI has placed a bet against the planet by investing big in coal.”YOU IDIOTS” is on the cover of the Rolling Stone issue with all this cheerful news.  I’ve encouraged the girls to use their strengths to help save the planet. Maybe, Emily’s cello would be the best after all…a soothing tonic while we go down.

BUT- as Iris pointed out, we won WWII and there’s no McCarthy rounding us up for visiting China. And if my cousin Carola was grateful for bad coffee to use as shampoo, hay to cushion her sleep, and soup each day, surely, I can face living in paradise.

Three strong healthy creative supportive daughters, a husband who pampers me and gives me freedom, a mild drizzly climate that nurtures fir, cedars,washington farmers, my hunter cat, near invisible bikers with raingear and moss, and an abundance of every manmade product in the world at my doorstep. Maybe it’s just our job to document the perfection and melt into the music.

time alone

Thank you to my TA in Chemistry freshman year, 40 days and 40 nights journal Lauren and my mom.  The TA, a Cornell senior already admitted

to med school put his feet up and read the NYT during chemistry lab. Finally (age 46, Barack safely in whitehouse) I let myself read it thoroughly least twice a week- no rushing.

  40 days 40 nights gove me the courage to start journaling. It’s NOT like anyone will ever read it- but I couldn’t get started without a little format.

LAUREN is making daily progress on her book (I gobbled up a sneak preview and loved it!) and she ENCOURAGES me in her gentle quiet way to plant myself and do the same.

Whether I ever have a completed book or not, I love time spent working on it.  My mom told me that she and Rafi had some goals they never seriously pursued and I should not be afraid to pursue mine.

Now, I just need one more benefit from this writing project…get Iris to write!

Unicycling

Solange ordered a bike rack and storage shed hoping to remove all the  bikes/skateboards from her front entryway and dining room. But two unicycles arrived on the scene before  any sign of the organizers. Mike was excited to apply his considerable mountain biking skill to this  wobbly alternative. He started by  riding along a brick wall then progressed to  leaning heavily  on my shoulder.  I went from long arm hangs dragging the unicycle and my legs along the wall to lightly touching the wall with one hand punctuated by seconds of panic as the wheel tried to escape ahead or behind me.  As always, Rafi saw only my potential. He  offered to either take up a collection for a unicycle for Gwen or saw my bike in half.

Iris and Solange commandeered the house right across the street from Solange by being wonderful friends to its owners: Pam and Dennis. Iris went on to have a table set for 12 at 9 AM and dinnertime each day then proceeded to magically make various relatives want to cook the meals. Conversations ranged from best movies to Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin to whether or not one of Solly’s neighbors could shoot the other without getting out of his armchair or opening his window. (He probably can). Rafi taught me the provinces of Canada, and the major cities in Australia, and the likely compositions of the cliffs east of Scottsdale on the Apache trail. Emily led Cranium games- she won every single game but everyone had fun except maybe Rafi who never heard of any popular songs in his life.

Derek was great- he took us mountain biking and Pam and Dennis’ dog,  Blanka, followed him everywhere. He played and watched football with Eric, played chess with Rafi, Sorry with Summer and hiked camelback – arriving at the top first.

Derek and Bessie  watched the Day after Tomorrow with us even though they’d already seen it. I could tell Bessie related to intense scientists stopping at nothing to save the world. Nellie and Summer  woke up by 10 AM or so- a big improvement over past years.  Nellie  looks 17 when she’s confidently driving her new white compact car around. Otherwise, I still can’t believe she’s that old.

Solly acted all pokey letting everyone hike and mountain bike ahead of her.  She maintains large piles of laundry in various prominent locations and seems to spend a chunk of time cleaning cat litter.  But on our trail run, I could only keep up with her for about a minute.  Eric did better but she ran about twice as far as we did. And she did 5 plus 4 pull ups (from a dead hang unlike Summer’s 12 pullups she claimed). Under the jumbled laundry is the most gorgeous old fashioned quilt which she made. And she did write an attention grabbing courtroom drama while working full time. I’m sure she’s a multimillionnaire about to become richer in real estate. And her kids are growing up creative, brave and strong.

As the sun started to set, a wiley coyote in the street witnessed Mike riding up and down the street with no help except the recycle bin to get him started. We said our leisurely goodbyes complete with photos then nearly missed our plane which left at 6:20 instead of 7:20 pm as I thought. At least we all had to sit alone on the plane so nobody could yell at me. And once again, we’re a family of 5-  Lauren is coming home!

utopia

Sunday, poor Paul Krugman appeared on CNN to “face off” on climate change against….an adjunct professor of business. CNN found the foulest Dane to throw on the screen and then they kept the camera on his huge mouth only occasionally panning to  Paul’s despondent face. In today’s paper, he (PK) said he was naive when he first started writing for the NYT- in thinking that influential people change their mind in the face of evidence. Then he said Alan Greenspan’s the only one that ever admitted to being wrong and he can’t believe the house just voted against MODEST regulations on Wall Street.

Anyway, after an inconvenient truth, I wished Al Gore would get behind a beautiful movie in which the best technologies and methods already in existence form the setting…something to inspire people into the future.  The best movie I’ve seen in that regard is '”Meet the Robinsons.”

And the best comfort I had when I was in total despair one night over the fate of our planet was Carlos. He said after people are gone, the world will recover. I hope he’s right and I hope lots of animal and plant species recover with it. I also like his dream of building a sustainable village in Mexico.

ANYHOW- my ideas don’t go far in real life although I am happy JAMA published my letter hypothesizing that fewer cars per capita are one reason Brits are healthier than Americans. So that’s why I want to write a book- so my idea of how things should be are on paper even though they’ll never happen.  And just like AYN RAND- you can’t just spew your ideas when they’re big and impractical- you have to put it into a character and story that some  may enjoy.

And if nobody reads it- then it’s a little cocoon of safety, sanity, order. Clean air, walkable communities, improved group think and government. And one jumping off point is the prediction I read in the NYT…an article about Big Food vs Big Insurance. – when medical insurers finally have to cover people FOR LIFE, they’ll start caring about  long term health. Then they’ll realize there’s an opponent to health stronger than them: BIG FOOD. 

So, BIG FOOD will be the last REMNANT of today’s  cannibalistic society. And the forces of good will TAKE THEM DOWN.