Because he is also my caregiver, there’s been a lot of divvying up of .. what does Mom need now .. from everyone else in the house. And since Mom can’t get everything that he needs either, there’s a lot more of … hey while I’m getting Mom a hot pack can I get you some more ice? Needless to say, I rely on him a lot and while I try to be “less needy” and do more … the reality is there’s not a lot of wiggle room for me to suddenly rise to the occasion, because chronic illness is just that. Its inconvenient, unyielding and persistent in its limits.<\/p>\n
And yet, the light switch in the bathroom died, the outlet in my daughter’s room caught on fire, the filter to the air conditioner needed to be replaced (cut and customized.) And some things simply can’t wait 4-6 weeks for the “healing fracture” to complete its mission. So yes, he’s still very much a one man handyman. But today the pond pump needed to be cleaned. And that’s simply not a job for someone with a broken foot in an Air Cam Walker Fracture Boot. So I offered to help. <\/p>\n
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I should say, that I don’t mind slime and grime .. I don’t. I’m not opposed to be elbow deep in grease for a good cause. And its not that I didn’t know how hard that job was … because I see the pain he’s in afterwards every time he cleans out the pump. But the waterfall was down to a dangerous trickle and in this heat, the koi need oxygen in that water and it wasn’t going to happen without some serious pond maintenance. Cleaning a pressure bio filter is a messy job. Don’t believe any of the vendor videos that say you can click a switch and instantly back flush the unit. Perhaps if you were only filtering mountain spring water. But we are talking about a pond with live fish and plants and critters. I’m sure the raccoon bathing in our estuary hasn’t helped the ecology. So cleaning the pond filter for us, means taking 2000 bio activator media balls and cleaning them by hand. Which is done by taking a liter out at a time and spraying them with a high pressure hose. The sludge is thick and sticks to everything. The slime sprays into your eyes, nose, mouth. The micro abrasions on your hands sting because you are literally covered in toxic waste.<\/p>\n
I should mention that we’ve had a serious heat wave this week. And I have orthostatic issues. I have orthostatic ANGER issues on hot days (or kitchens). And the redneck .. well, its not easy for him to delegate. And the pain level he is enduring just being out there and hobbling around on the other side of the pond trying to ensure I don’t break anything. Let’s just say I got over heated and leave it at that. <\/p>\n
In any moment, we are what flows through our veins and brains and on a hot summer’s night that can sometimes feel epic. How we pass the time until the wave passes … well that defines our melody in the moment.<\/p>\n
Good time to chill.<\/p>\n