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A photo we posted on June 7, 2013, as our ship pulled into port. See the post here. |
Yesterday, Tom started early, getting up at 6:30 to prepare for his day. His sister Patty, 90 years old, had a doctor’s appointment at 9:00 am for a cardiac ultrasound, also known as echocardiography, which uses sound waves to create images of the heart and its structures. It’s a non-invasive and rapid diagnostic tool that provides detailed information about heart function and structure. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a standard procedure used to assess heart health and diagnose various conditions.
Patty lives about an hour from our hotel, so Tom left the hotel at about 7:30. He picked up Patty, and they easily made the appointment on time, as the clinic is located within minutes of her home.
Since Patty doesn’t use the internet, she was unable to access “My Chart” to view the test results. Instead, she’ll have to wait to speak to her doctor in about a week. I tried to set up a “My Chart” account for her, but since she doesn’t have internet access, I was unable to create an account using my phone or Tom’s phone. She seemed fine about waiting until next week for the results.
Tom returned to the hotel by 10:45, and he settled in, content with nothing to do for a few hours. In the meantime, I worked on the post, some financial tasks, and responded to email messages from our readers, a daily occurrence.
At noon, Tom took a nap while I quietly watched a movie, streamed from Hulu. I love those quiet times when I have nothing to do, with no cleaning, no cooking, and no travel-related tasks to attend to. I ventured outdoors a few times to walk around the building, since it’s easy to become lazy and inactive while staying in a hotel.
By 2:10 pm, we headed out to pick up sisters Patty and Margie, in their two separate locations, to take them with us to Billy’s Bar for the usual Friday siblings afternoon get-together, starting at happy hour at 3:30. After over an hour, we arrived at Billy’s and the typical big round table was waiting for us.
After drinks and food, when it was only 6:00 pm, we all headed back to Mary and Eugene’s home in Andover to play cards. I had yet to play cards. Buck Euchre is an exciting card game, and unlike traditional Euchre, it’s played individually, without teams. Players aim to be the first to reach or go below zero points by winning tricks and carefully choosing when to stay in or drop out during each round.
Whenever we’ve been around Tom’s siblings, whether in Minnesota or Arizona, we’ve always played this fun card game. Neither of us has ever become tired of playing. It’s such fun and we love every minute. I lost $8, and Tom won $10. The stakes aren’t high, $2.00 a game, nor are the winnings when finishing a game. But the laughter and fun more than make up for any potential losses.
We played cards until about 10:30 pm, and then we drove Patty and Margie back to their respective homes. By midnight, we were back at the hotel and went to bed shortly thereafter. Neither of us slept more than six hours, but we both feel fine this morning, ready to tackle another family event.
Tonight, at 5:00 pm, we’re meeting Vincent, 19, and his girlfriend, whom we’ve never met, for dinner at Dolittle’s in Golden Valley, about 25 minutes from our hotel. It will be fun to have a “double date” with a grandson. Tomorrow night, we’re meeting Maisie and her boyfriend, Dakota, at Maynard’s in Excelsior, our old neighborhood, for another double date.
I wish there was enough time to get together with each grandchild individually, but our schedule for the next week is packed with family and friends get-togethers. We’ll see most of our three kids who live in Minnesota, and six grandchildren at gatherings over the next week.
Gosh, the time is flying by quickly. We begin the return journey to South Africa, a week from tomorrow. We’ve loved being here and will love returning to the bush.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 7, 2015:
