Day Zero Plus Seventy-two – You Say Frito; I Say Dorito

Nurse Jackie has been encouraging Jeff to eat high-calorie snacks between meals.  So he has been reverting to his childhood, requesting favorites that his mother would buy often and his wife, never.  His very favorite snack chips are Fritos but I keep bringing home Doritos, thinking I have done a very nice thing.  He gently tells me it is really Fritos that he likes.  “Oh!  I’m so sorry,” I tell him, “I’ll get those the next time I go shopping.”  Then the next time I buy Doritos again!  Really, I don’t do it on purpose.

Jeff used to do the same thing with yogurt for me.  He would proudly bring home a giant tub of plain yogurt and announce with great pleasure that he bought my favorite yogurt.  No, I would tell him; my favorite is vanilla.  We are reminded of the sermon at Kerry and Theresa’s wedding – the heel of the bread.  Only neither of us can say we favor the thing we bought in error. 

 Kerry and Keith snaked the clogged pipe in the basement with Jeff’s expert advice and supervision.  He admitted that as soon as he heard the boys turn on the drill, he got excited.  He actually put on mask and gloves to inspect their progress up close.  He chose one of the masks that Judy had given him – samples from her work at a pediatric dentist office.  See photo.  The boys laughed at him while he said, mock sternly, “Serious worker here!” 

After I plugged Jeff in, I planned to go to church and would return in time to “unplug” him when the infusion was complete.  Unfortunately, my car wouldn’t start.  I traipsed back into the house to ask the guys to help me.  When I turned the key, the car went click-click-click then nothing.  Kerry came out to listen to it and pronounced, “It’s the starter.  I can get the car going and you should drive it right to the auto shop.”  We came in the house to tell Jeff our plan.  Jeff disagreed with Kerry’s diagnosis, saying, “It’s the battery.”  After a brief discussion, it was decided that Kerry would jump my car.  Ouila!  Success!  Jeff is very smug, calling himself an armchair mechanic.  He advised driving directly to Tires Plus for a new battery.

I can tell Jeff feels better by the level of interest he took in both the car and plumbing issues.  During the last 71 days, there were a few times when he couldn’t think about things that came up, things that the kids and I would ordinarily seek his advice about.  We managed, of course.  How much better to have him advising, planning, fixing - and laughing - with us.