Renu's Week

Monday, July 30, 2018

Report of 30 July 2018

Hoo!  Been a while since I wrote, eh.

The reason - I have been on a busy service in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  The weeks off have been spent recuperating and travelling madly until we put a halt to that a couple of weeks ago.  We drove out East to see our sons - Naren in Brooklyn, NY, and Navin in West Chester, PA - over the summer as they did not have enough time off or funds to get to us. 

What is wrong with the flipping airline industry in the U.S., I say???  Scott would sooner walk than fly here and now I see why - flights cancelled with no easy reschedule, surly service, hefty baggage charges, some sort of humiliating "Basic Economy" fare which appears to preclude airline civility, and endless nonsense.  Easier to fly in India.  While Scott's preference to drive caused some serious butt ache, I have to concur with the driving option.  We did fly to Texas and - of course - the return flight was delayed enough to miss our connection, prompting a drive through the country in a rental car in the wee hours.

So, Fort Wayne it is.  The team is fabulous - easily the best team I have ever worked with.  ("Tall praise," said Naren.)  We are fairly overworked, but no one dodges work and pull together with considerable might.  The patients are grateful, of course, and that makes all of it worthwhile.  An older patient's daughter sent me a very kind note and a picture of her mother, eating donuts and drinking milk, on her porch and I was happy to see it.  It is on my email, for me to look at it and revel in the nice joy that it brings.

We caught up with the boys and that was joyous.  So much candor and laughter and eating and fun.  We did not travel together as much as I had hoped to since both young men are now working, but did see the boyos and that was enough.  We went to San Antonio for a couple of days; that revved up everyone's spiritual heft.  We saw Linda and Dave Johnson, former professors who have known the boys since they were 5 and 3, and our former neighbors, Aurora and Scott Freeman and their whole family.  All of it was an unbridled joy fest and we returned recharged.  We also went to Baltimore, stayed at a nice hotel in Inner Harbor and did some touristy things there.  It was nice to generate some memories together.

We also watched sports; I live in an apartment with a TV, which we do not do in India.  Thus, Wimbledon, FIFA World Cup, other sporty things - all were watched.  Except the NBA finals - what a snooze-fest.  Warriors, Warriors.  If another team can stand up to them, I will start watching again.  That said, if the Spurs were this dominant, you know I would be glued to the tube :).

I am at our local library in Fort Wayne and this is a nice place.  Let me head on and do some reading.  It's back to work tomorrow.  The Banyan celebrates 25 years next month, it is still a beloved place regardless of where in the world I am, and I will return there - Insha Allah - next month. 

Unw -

R