The beard shows its mettle

David is tolerating the chemo very well. His white blood count is down, as hoped. His beard is getting downright bushy. On Tuesday he wrote:

We have won. Prior to today I was growing the beard betting that nobody was going to call me out on it, and I was correct. But as of today, I am officially forbidden from shaving. ha. Also I'm more than halfway through the first round of chemo and the beard is showing its true mettle

A personal milestone: At 11:55 a.m. the lunch lady comes to the door and says:

Miz Johnston, is your son gonna call down his lunch order?

Yes, he’s planning to do that.

She walks away a few paces, then comes back to the door.

Miz Johnston, when you called down last night, did you want a salad or a fruit cup? I looked at your slip and it said a garden salad and fruit, so they put an orange on the tray and said, ‘Hope she likes that.’

I ordered a fruit cup, but it’s fine. The orange was delicious.

They didn’t know if you wanted a garden salad and fruit or what.

I didn’t ask for a garden salad; I ordered the fruit cup. But the orange was delicious.

I hope it was all right.

I don’t actually care for garden salad; I always get the fruit cup.

Okay.

Individual attention and personalized service! What a country!