Who opened the roast beef?

Now THAT'S how I like to start my day. Ask me something simple! I'm at work, it is 7 :30 am, the phone rings. My husband says "did you open the roast beef?" "no", I reply, "well who did?, Zack didn't, I didn't." Okay... "um, why?", "I'm not sure when it was opened and if it's still good". "oh, well, smell it, if it stinks, don't eat it!" "Okay, Thanks".... Nice, easy and simple. Of course me being me, I turned it into the question of the day.  Doc Nancy walks into work "did YOU open the roast beef?".... another thing we can laugh at.

It's the simple questions that I now treasure, where is my coat? do we have dog food? who opened the beef? The tough ones are out there with us every day as a reminder. When is my next appointment? Will I need a transfusion today? Will I be in the hospital for my Birthday? Is he going to wake up tired or energized? When are you paying the medical bills? 

Zack calls me this morning and asks to be adjusted. This is the first time he has felt good enough to do so.  Zack is excited when he arrives. Docs Steve and Nancy haven't seen his new car yet. Once the adjustment is completed, we all run outside to inspect the car. Zack was so proud, he was on his way to get new wiper blades and was going to clean it all out later in the day. He was showing off the front seat upholstery that was his gift from Floyd and Shawn, he was showing off the trunk, the original back seat covering. It was so nice to witness his pride as he was telling them his plans to paint it for his Senior project. 

Father & Son, Savannah  2011

We have answers to everything, well almost everything. This morning Frank wakes Zack up to go for a walk. We were told that he needed to walk more to get the blood circulating and help the cells rejuvenate. Zack is grumpy (he never has been a morning person) and they get mad at each other. I come home (the little peace maker, like all us women tend to be) and Zack immediately starts to complain. "Dad is grumpy today", "why?", "I don't know, but I'm tired of him being grumpy". I go on the porch where Frank is sitting reading his book, drinking his beer and smoking his cigarette. (hey don't judge, wouldn't we all want to be doing that right about now?) I lean over to him and ask "are you grumpy?". He answers with his usual "should I be?", "NOPE".. I go back into the home office where Zack is still sitting in the corner chair. I tell him that Dad is not grumpy, maybe you misunderstood? I ask "what happened?" "well, he came in and wanted me to go for a walk this morning and I don't want to walk in the morning", "Okay, do you realize that Dad is doing this for YOU, he doesn't really need to walk, doesn't really have the time before work, but because that is the ONE thing he can do to help you he does?" " Maybe just get up, go for the walk, then when you are done, come back and rest, if you feel you still need to  OR ask Dad if you can walk with him in the evening when he is back from work". "okay I'll do that"  I explain to him that many times we feel that we have little or no control over what he must go through, so when we feel we can do something that we know will help his well being, we jump on it.  Once done with the conversation, I "report" back to Frank. IF Zack doesn't walk in the morning, then he will go in the evening. He is agrees to the compromise. But not without me telling both of them that THEY need to talk to each other and learn to communicate better. (Yeah right that'll happen! A soon to be 17 year old and his Dad communicate!)

Zack's English teacher, Ms. O. came out to the house tonight and went over all of his work. She showed him how to use the new programs that his class is working with. She brought  him a portfolio to use as an example for his Senior Project.  Zack was all excited and energized when she left. He was telling me that he now understands a large portion of what he has been missing. Ms. Owen said that Zack is actually not behind which is absolute "Music to a parents ears."

We end the day with a wonderful dinner prepared by Frank and Zack. Tomorrow will be just another regular day with work for Frank and I and schoolwork for Zack.  There's just one questions left unanswered. Did YOU open the roast beef?"