Day 30.....Rest and Recovery - Mangoes and Motorcycles

Day 30, Tuesday March 30. Did not run Still at 933.4 miles to go

Was a sick and recovering day. The cold won round two and despite the vicks on my chest and feet and lots of rest, I was still not up to par. It was a day full of meetings and I did my best to go through the motions but I kept hoping that 5 o'clock would shuffle in and I could leave a little early. It finally did and so did I, but not before 6 o'clock. I thought of going to the gym but decided one more day of rest was probably more important than a few miles. I can catch up when I am well again. Hopefully can run on Wednesday. Thursday Taka and Leigh will be coming and I am sure I will get some runs in with them. Easter will be a wonderful family gathering.

And speaking of Easter, my dear friend and second mom, Pat Savage, called me asking if I had gotten my "package?" The package was a box containing a cake, some cookies and some biscuit mix she had shipped UPS so I would have it for the Easter gathering of the clans. Every year for the past 10 years she has come and helped to cook (actually done everything) for family gatherings at my house, usually at Christmas and also at graduations which we have had every year for the past 5 years. She also cooked everything for my father's 80th birthday celebration. She is a wonderful cook but more important, a wonderful person. As my daughter Leigh said, "They do not make them like her anymore!" She is a strong Irish woman of 80 herself now and as feisty and full of life as a woman half her age. She still drives everywhere, often with a "roadie" and wants her cocktail when she arrives (a dirty vodka or a jack and water). She will not miss Mass on Sunday, ever! She is tall and dresses in bright impeccably matched outfits accessorized with big color coordinated glasses. She takes care of the lonely priests and is a tireless volunteer at her church.

Pat and I have a special bond. She is family in the truest sense of the word. She lost a son and I lost a mother when I was in High School, a sophomore. Her daughter, Chris, and I were friends and in her big heart Pat found room for a lost boy. We have stayed in touch all these years. She was a reader at son Eric's wedding. When she traveled with me to New York last year, I asked her about what Broadway Play she wanted to see. I mentioned that there were revivals of South Pacific and West Side Story. She retorted that she did not want to see that same old tired stuff and wanted something new. She ended up picking out an avant garde production, Burn, about ball room dancing, something she had done as a young woman.

She can't join us this Easter because she will be at a grandson's graduation, hence the insistence on helping out by sending a cake, etc. When she called, she apologized about not having enough time to include some rice and a recipe she wanted me to try for a rice salad.....one of God's angels in my life. I am sure there will be more about Easter in later posts. All three of my children (now grown) will be here along with daughter in law Karla and her parents and uncle, Taka, ex wife Kay and her parents, Big Momma and Big Daddy, best friend Nickie and partner Bob and others. I am sure I will miss Pat even more as I try to cope without her this time.

Had a funny conversation this morning with an Indian friend. He was explaining how Indian mangoes are just better than the Mexican ones we can get here. He said there is no comparison. I have never been a big fan of mangoes, other than in ice cream sometimes when I want something different. My friend was excited because he said that there was a new trade agreement between the US and India and for the fist time in many years, the US was going to allow Indian mangoes to be imported. The agreement was negotiated as a trade where US Harley Davidson motorcycles could be imported into India if Indian mangoes were allowed into the US. I listened but thought, "You've got to be kidding....mangoes for motorcycles?" Since I am always teasing Rahul, I thought he was pulling my leg. Curiosity got the best of me and googled Mangoes and Harleys...and guess what....he was right...google it! What a weird world. So I will be on the look out for Indian mangoes....if you see any, please let me know. Life is Good!