Friday, May 24, 2024

 Friday, May 24, 2024

 I dreaded going to the hula class. I left on the late side but made myself go. I was so stressed about it that I was struggling to stay awake. It was concerning but not so bad that I had to turn around and go home.  The teacher was teaching a new dance today. I  followed pretty well. I still felt like I was dragging. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.  I understood that the hula was hard on my arms. I was only eleven months out from a reverse shoulder replacement. I may never be able to lift my left arm over my head with the ease I once had. Doing the hula is a good way to explore it. I have to accept it’s a process.  I sat down for a while. I got up again but limited the movement to my feet. 

   I saw my walking buddy, Elaine. She told me about the class. I went up to say hello. She introduced me to a woman who was visiting her. Jeanette was French and spoke less English than I spoke French. I pulled out the French I learned in my sophomore and junior years in high school. It was far from perfect, but I could do some basic communication.

   Elaine and her husband met Jeanette and her husband while traveling in Japan. They hung out together for three days, and Elaine and her husband invited them to stay if they came to Hawaii.  Jeanette and her husband were just married; this was their honeymoon.

   The last time I used French was in 1962. I was traveling in Europe with a student tour group. While visiting some city on the Cote D’Azur, I rented a moped and took it on a highway to meet up with my group, who had traveled to another town for the day.  I had an accident. 

   I was wearing a head scarf. I took my hand off the handlebars to brush the scarf back. The wheel turned sharply first in one direction and then another. Then, the wheel jammed in a turned position, the bike came to an abrupt halt, and I was thrown forward. I survived with a torn skort pocket and a mild abrasion burn. The moped was unusable. A couple stopped to help me. They got me and the bike to the side of the road and were discussing what to do.  I saw a bakery truck coming down the road. I stood up, walked past my Good Samaritans, and put my thumb out.  I wanted a ride to the next town to meet with my group. The couple explained what I wanted to the driver. He agreed. They loaded my bike into the back of the van and me into the front. I chatted amicably with the driver in French.  I nearly failed French in high school. I was not a good language learner.  The driver dropped me off where my group was. The tour bus driver fixed my bike. It was loaded on the back of the bus for the trip home.  I returned it without a hitch.

   After class, I went to Island Naturals to see if they had some of their great tuna fish salad. They don’t usually have any out in the morning, but they prepare it then and make it available in the afternoon. It was my lucky day: they had plenty of salad and their orange raspberry strudel bites. I ate some tuna salad in the parking lot. I was hungry.

  I was shocked while checking out. My wallet wasn’t in my purse. Had I dropped it, or had I left it at home?  I headed back to the community center where the hula class had been. Judy called just as I pulled into the lot. She told me her son, Adam, cut back the large root that broke their water pipe and fixed the pipe. They had water again.  I told her about the wallet. I was surprisingly calm.  Thanks to Mike, I learned not to respond to incidents like that with panic. “It’s a problem to be solved;” just take it one step at a time. What a gift that man was to me.   

   Before walking over to the center, I checked the passage side of the car, not just the seat but the floor. There it was. My purse was open, and the wallet had slipped out and fallen between the seat and the passenger side door. I went home.

   My right shoulder has been bothering me as much as my left.  Was it caused by my changes, or was arthritis advancing on its own schedule?  I felt the problem was coming from my upper back.  I used the MELT roller to see if I could get some relief.  I rolled back and forth, applying the roller to my thoracic spine.  I heard the loudest crack I had ever heard. Had I shifted the metal plate in my shoulder? Had I done some damage to myself?  No. It was all good, and my shoulders and upper arms felt better.

I had no students today. Adolescent D was supposed to meet with me but wandered off to do his own thing. I like to think he is having a great time when he doesn’t show up. He has been doing that more lately. It is the end of the school year, so I think there are more social activities. I don’t get that he doesn’t want to do the work. It’s more that he has something fun to do. At least, I hope that’s what’s happening.

  Darby didn’t walk this evening. She anticipated a hard day’s work tomorrow and wanted to husband her energy.  Lutz had texted to ask if I wanted a mango. No, I fear those critters. The sap from a mango is the same chemical as in poison ivy. I am allergic.  He said he would set out around 5:30. I set out at that time,  figuring I would pick up Gayle, and Lutz would catch up to us. I ran into Xiu. She said she saw the two of them walking down the road.  I didn’t know which way to go to catch up, so I just kept to my usual route. I missed them. Lutz texted me; they had stopped by to pick me up.  Maybe we’ll meet up tomorrow.