Dowd adventures in Bologna: Something to say, while Jayne is out of the house!

mercoledì 5 febbraio 2014

Something to say, while Jayne is out of the house!

Am taking this opportunity to write while Jayne is at her rehab on her knee. Firstly today is our 14th anniversary, thanking mum for ringing me and telling me, and when l wished Jayne happy anniversary this morning, and l realised she had also forgotten, she said who told you. She knows me well!
Jayne has been bed ridden for the past 5 weeks, and though she can move about a bit now on crutches it can be painful and slow. That is not to say it has not been slow for us, but it has been painful. Jayne has mastered the use of the crutch to point, to pick up and to hit with. As l said last time you hear the Mitch, MITCH, MITCHHHH, often now, and also Ewan, EWAN, EWANNNN, but never Hunter as she knows he will never come, Hunter is smarter than we think.
So l have realised, or at least been told that l don't put the correct amount of milk in her tea, that she wants a particular amount of caffe latte, not a full glass, but not a small glass. That my eating habits are caveman like, that the boys bad habits are my fault. I don't realize the pain she is in, l don't seem to care, or do anything for her ( that she wants). I put her daily injections in too painfully, and seem to want to hurt her. I did not heat the greens up enough, and that the rice was too soggy, and did l eat the salad in the fridge! And l don't want to talk to her at 11.30pm, as l try to go to sleep, Jayne sleeps into 9am , just after the boys have gone too school ( fed, clothed and with a packed lunch)
But even with all this we made it happily along today, and she still has a lovely smile and heart, its just rather difficult to find some days.
Of course, you might say l would be worse, but l don't think so.
So last weekend we went to Cortina, to revisit the crime scene. The boys had Friday off, so we went up Thursday afternoon, it took nearly 5 hours, as it rained all the way, then turned to snow as we climbed higher, the traffic went into slow mode, even l had to pass some cars in the blizzard ( l have such faith in the winter tyres) So we arrived at the apartment , only to find it obviously well snowed over on the driveway, which is rather steep. So we park across the road in an undercover park, and Jayne is able to crutch her way across the road. This is after waiting 20 minutes in traffic, as a truck has lost itself on the one way road, and the traffic has decided to go two ways, while the policeman wonders what to do. Our park was 20 metres away, but it might have been 20 km. So anyway, Jayne makes it across the road, and then we realize its just too steep and snowy for her to walk, so somehow l create a superhuman effort in myself and piggy back her up the 80 metres to the door. It took 15 minutes for my breath to catch up. Then several trips back and forth to get the luggage, this is while Jayne points, picks and hits me with the crutch. We got take away from the pizza place below, which l thought ld never do, and it was tempting to just go there with the boys and have some time out!!
So it snowed and snowed and then snowed, the morning brought a metre of snow, which made it rather difficult to get down the road as l took as big a steps as l could with Hunty trying to follow, until we both seemed trapped in it. We made it out to the shops for supplies, then retraced our steps back. An hour later Hunter and l found some snow shovels and dug a 80 metre track through over a metre of snow. A neighbour came along, with a look of why bother, its just going to keep snowing ( he did not have a wife on crutches) but good on him, he returned with a shovel and helped dig. Over the next three days he and l kept that track like the Bridge on the River Quai. And Hunter and Ewan used it as a luge lane on some basic plastic toboggans. They also built a huge fort with tunnels and towers, ready for a fight to the death. And this was terrific, as the snow had caused all the lifts to be closed, due to avalanche.
Sadly our other friends who were coming up, were all turned back, as they closed the road early Friday morning. So we spent the weekend playing board games, making short trips outside to the shops for supplies, and the boys spending hours playing in the snow. The streets were full of lost souls, wondering, wandering what to do, and where was it all going. The roads opened on Saturday, and we left Sunday morning, as the snow became rain, washing all manner of evidence away.
Jayne began her rehab this Monday, three sessions a week ( one in the pool) They supply a bus pick up near by and drop off , which is helpful, as otherwise l would be driving out 20 minutes and then deciding to wait 2 hours or return . It seems to be a very good set up, especially for Italy, though strangely it does not have a coffee area, and the front door is rather heavy to push open, especially for people with injuries, l don't think there is a suggestion box. They are apparently the best in Italy, and have offices in several places, but have just opened one in London, which l imagine would be a bit better designed. As Italians might wave their arms about, but few complain, as the people with white coats are doctors and know best. I have to get myself one of these white coats, it definitely holds power, though l don't think enough to open doors, especially at the clinic!
Hunter and Ewan got their half year reports, which seem very good, most importantly a huge improvement, of course room for improvement. This year has been a big jump for them, and they seem to have handled it well. Ewan is very keen on technological devices, which is not my favourite thing, and seems to feel at 11 he should have an iphone, or ipod or i something, l remind him that ( i ) am the only one who gets those things now. Italian and sport are the two areas they don't enjoy, and knowing the boys that seems strange as they love sport, but the teachers are not their favourites, they both are Spanish, but l don't think its that!
Hunter got a yellow card, which is a new thing they have bought into the school, and his sport teacher gave it to him. Hunter suggested it was like getting a Nerf gun, you want to use it straight away, and he thinks the teachers are doing that with yellow cards, and l think he may be onto something.
When his teacher asked him what his parents thought of him getting a yellow card, his friend nudged him and said , say what your father said, thankfully Hunter said what he was meant to say "they were disappointed with me" not "don't worry, that guy is a dick-head"
So l will go now, as l must make sure the house and kitchen are perfect before Jayne returns, otherwise it's a whack with the crutch.