I figured out why I have a hip problem and possibly why Mike had kidney disease. My hip problem may be caused by my Morton’s toe when the first metatarsal is closer to the heel than the second metatarsal. This forces the foot to turn in. To make contact with the first metatarsal as I walk, I have to be pigeon-toed. I am trying to walk on the outer edge of my feet, the way the podiatrist told me to when I was nine. I don’t know if the good doctor told my dad why I had the problem with my feet. I do know that no one told me. I was diagnosed with flat feet. Now, I am walking on the outer edge of my feet. It engages leg muscles differently. I am asking muscles to work in ways they possibly never did before. No wonder they complain periodically.
I was hoping to work on my PowerPoint presentation for the Step-Up Tutoring program but never got it. I had a lot of catch-up to do on my updates; I wanted to take care of my Christmas ‘gifts.’
Poor Mike, he loved Christmas. He decorated inside the house, the front of the house and bought presents, presents, presents. I find the gift-giving tradition depressing. I had everything I needed. Celebrations didn’t need gifts. It saddened him that I didn’t share his excitement. Oh, well. The good news is that I’m fine facing Christmas alone without decorations or gifts, or for that matter, guests to share the time with.
Damon called me yesterday. I asked him to call back today, so I could enjoy my Saturday shows. I asked if he was planning to come to Hawaii for the occasion. He was taken aback. No, I was not serious. If I had expected him, we would have made arrangements long ago. No, he and his family were going nowhere; no one is- Covid.
We talked about Christmas. I sent checks to one and all—my concession to the holiday tradition of gift-giving. Damon listed the gifts they had bought for themselves and August. For August, they bought some computer program. He had been using the free version; this was a serious upgrade. For themselves, Damon and Cylin bought an outdoor heating unit. They had already purchased a long narrow table to invite others and keep a six-foot distance. They had one family over. It was uncomfortably chilly after the sun went down in the LA evening - therefore, the outdoor heating unit.
Damon’s good friend, Mike, made a TED Presentation. He had written a book that is doing well. I asked Damon how Mike got the TED gig. Was it something he applied for, or did they contact him first? Damon thought that those who made presentations for TED X approached TED first. He didn’t know about the people who presented on the main stage.
Damon told me that August had just woken up. It was close to three pm. Well, he’s a teenager. Damon told me that poor August just had four wisdom teeth removed. I would sleep forever too.
In my conversation with Damon, I learned that his knee was still bothering him; he has had problems on and off since college. I recommended Tendlite, an infrared light. My friend Katherine told me that she used the infrared light on an old horse of hers. He responded so well that he behaved like a young stallion. I ordered it immediately for myself and have been using it. I told Damon I would get it for him for Christmas-An actual present that makes sense. I’m in.
Judy called. She always starts every conversation with, “Are you all right?” She apologized for not getting in touch sooner. There had been a problem with Luke, her disabled grandchild, with a severe case of FoxG1, a genetic mutation disorder.
Judy got a frantic call from her daughter-in-law at church. She rushed home. Luke hasn’t been able to hold down food for several days. Since the FoxG1 kids are spastic, they need a large amount of food to maintain a healthy weight. He would greet food happily, down five tablespoons, and throw it back up.
The family sat down to discuss what to do. Taking him to the ER is pointless. They have no idea what to do with Luke when he gets there. FoxG1 is a recently identified condition. The ‘experts’ in Oahu don’t know what to do. If Luke can’t hold his food, they will insert a feeding tube. That wouldn’t be best for him, but it would be more convenient for Adam and Jazzy.
Adam finally got Luke to hold down some food by feeding him with a dropper; he could handle a little bit of food at a time. Adam is generally the one who feeds Luke. It is a job that requires a lot of patience. Luke gets excited when he smells food; he clenches his teeth. Adam has to wait until he relaxes or pry his mouth open to get the food in.
I packed up a large box of books. I am trying to use the butcher paper Judy gave me she no longer needed after her bird died. The paper is not as wide as the wrapping paper I bought at Office Max, which means I have to put extra pieces on the sides of the boxes. I’m going to try this paper with one box. If it arrives safely, I will use it. But before I can send it off, I will need to buy packing tape.
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