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| Mt. Rainier welcomes me to Seattle on my way to Juneau |
Life happens. That is all I can really say about this last period of time. As of this moment, the school year has started, my summer has ended, and a lot has happened since my last post in July. The online silence does not mean that life has been quiet. Actually the opposite.
In mid-July, I flew to Juneau to check on my dad. It turns out he was not doing well, and he was having lots of problems with his health. I spend several days in Juneau packing his house up, getting him ready to leave for Seattle to the cardiac wing of Virginia Mason Hospital, and trying to determine how best to manage his life and try to get him better.
While in Juneau, I spend most of each day cleaning and organizing and taking care of my dad. However, I took breaks to go hiking, meet-up with friends, and just have a little quiet time to myself. It was special to be able to see my hometown again, and a lot of my friends from childhood. The community got wind of my dad and showed strong support and compassion. While the process of getting my dad out of Juneau was emotionally and physically draining, it was the right thing to do.
One positive highlight of my travels back to Juneau was having the chance to meet-up with my favorite podcast hosts Angie and Trevor of the Marathon Training Podcast. I was lucky enough to have met them in June when I ran the Grandmas Marathon in Duluth, MN. They were taking their three sons on a summer road trip from their home in Pennsylvania all the way to Juneau! During their time in Juneau, Angie would also run the Juneau Marathon. So it was a happy coincidence that I was in Juneau to meet-up again. They even let me take them gold panning, so it felt great to continue the tradition of The Orelove Brothers and Sons Gold Company! Here is a link to their blog about their trip as well as the podcast episode that includes a few lines of interview with me! It was really a treat to see them again. http://marathontrainingacademy.com/adventure2#more-12848
From Juneau, we flew to Seattle and met-up with my Uncle Fred. We took dad to the hospital, where he remained for ten days. Not only was his heart failing, but several other medical conditions were also suffering and it took an entire team of doctors, specialists, nurses, and staff to stabilize him to the point of being able to function and travel again. The staff at Virginia Mason is second-to-none, and I continue to be moved by their patience, professionalism, compassion, and expert knowledge. During our ten days in Seattle, Uncle Fred and I spent most of each day at the hospital working with the doctors and nurses to care for dad. However, we took lunch breaks to explore the many wonderful (and some not so wonderful) restaurants in the area. We also treated ourselves to a nice dinner each night. We had a lot of tasty meals including Mexican, Indian, Thai, Mediterranean, Chinese fusion, ballpark food, and German! Eating with Uncle Fred is wonderful because he really knows and loves his food, and I learned a little something new about each cuisine when we sat down to dine! While the food was nice, I must say that I don't know how I would have been able to navigate this difficult time without my Uncle Fred. His perspective, thoughtfulness, and love truly made the time in Seattle manageable. I love him very much.
On my dad's birthday, August 10th, he was discharged and I flew him to sweet home Chicago. He has been in a rehabilitation facility for the past two weeks, just three miles from my house. He has lost a bit of weight and has made strong improvements in his mobility and general functions. The goal is to move him eventually to an independent living facility, hopefully near us for the time being. Who knows what the "long terms" plan is? What I do know is that a lot of people love my dad, and we are all glad he has made it through this difficult period of time and has come out the other side healthier than he has been in a long time.
Yes, my life with my children and wife and dog continues, but I am happy to find us learning to merge timelines with my dad. Each week we have had friends and family over to our house on Sunday for some food and hanging out with dad. It is nice to see the grandchildren interact with him, even if it is briefly before they continue zooming around the house and backyard. So while my old life continues, I find the new life with my dad something to cherish and embrace as we move forward.
-a
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| A porcupine in Juneau crosses the street. |
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| The Whale sculpture in Juneau is a beautiful addition to the city. |
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| Joyanne and my mom celebrating my mom's birthday with a nice thai picnic out by Auke Bay. |
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| Yum. Salmon berries. |
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| Eating berries. |
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| Beautiful Tlingit art in downtown Juneau. |
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| Patsy Ann statue on the docks downtown. |
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| Gold Creek Flume Trail. My favorite place on Earth. |
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| Gold Creek at sunset in Juneau. |
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| Bullwinkle's Pizza. A classic. |
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| A bag of goodies from Alaskan Brewing Co! |
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| It was so nice to see my childhood friend, Lindsey. |
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| The Juneau Time Capsule that my Uncle Michael established within the Federal Building. |
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| The old mine shaft at the end of Basin Road. |
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| Gold Creek |
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| Wood pile, split and stacked. I find this picture highly satisfying. |
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| The nails create a map of the world. You are here. Thank you Uncle Michael. |
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| The fireweed was amazing in Juneau. |
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| Coffee and a muffin at Twin Lakes. |
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| My dad's jukebox. Man have I played this a lot! |
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| Ready for gold panning lessons! |
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| My good friend Andy, his wife Bea, and their new baby boy! |
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| My good friends Andy and Jake and their sons. |
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| Going for a hike with my good friend Luke. |
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| The Ben Blackgoat bench on Perseverance Trail. |
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| My good friend Chris helped me move and store some of dad's art. |
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| Peapod is a good dog who belongs to my childhood friend, Sarah. |
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| Me and my mom. |
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| The view from Douglas. What a beautiful night. |
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| Got to spend my last night in Juneau with my friends David, Chris, and Kate. |
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| Marathon Training Academy hosts Angie and Trevor, plus another member of MTA. We got to have a nice dinner and even get interviewed! |
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| Flying dad to Seattle. |
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| Uncle Fred and I taking in a Seattle Mariners game. Beautiful ballpark, lousy burgers. |
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| A baseball game at Safeco Field. Beautiful evening. |
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| We have reached the summit! Well, we have reached Summit St. |
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| View of Elliot Bay from Pikes Market. |
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| Uncle Fred enjoying his German beer! |
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| Elliot Bay |
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| These were yummy. |
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| The insane Starbucks. It was beautiful, but cray to think this was a coffee joint. |
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| Seeing my children after three weeks away. |
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| Dad and Wavey Davey hang with Audrey and Violet. |
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| My wonderful kids. |
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| A final look around my classroom before the school year starts. |
