Boring Days Then, Evergreen State Now

Two Years Ago

Starting June 17, the day after David’s stem cell transplant, I drive him to Cox, the outpatient leukemia clinic, twice a week. Each time, they draw blood, count his white and red blood cells, and his platelets (which have clotting agents to stop bleeding), and measure his blood level of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug given to prevent David’s residual immune system from attacking Sam’s stem cells. At home, David injects himself with neupogen to boost those stem cells’ production.

2016
I spend a lovely two days with Kathleen in Ballard, Washington, which was originally an independent town (much like Hyde Park, south of Chicago). Now it’s northwestern Seattle. It has a charming downtown and we lunch at an excellent Mexican restaurant. I buy bandaids for my chin.

Thursday, June 16th, I pick up Peter, Xiomara, Andrew, and little Victoria, at the SEA-TAC airport and head for the rental vacation house on Lake Sawyer in Black Diamond. Friday we visit the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and tour the Seattle Underground on Saturday. There are some cloudy days, but that’s what we expect in the Northwest, right? We take turns cooking for 26: I ambitiously plan to make a Cook's Illustrated chicken parmesan recipe; it goes well. Since I cut my chin in Sacramento, I don’t swim in the lake.

After the reunion, Jim goes back to work in Lexington while I stay in Sammamish to visit relatives. I head back to Tacoma to see my niece, Jenn, where we visit a playground, for her two boys, and then a sandwich shop for lunch. Nine-year-old Paxton blows me away with his knowledge of the Revolutionary War. He even knows about the Fortification of Dorchester Heights, when Henry Knox dragged 60 tons of cannons and other guns from Ticonderoga over 200 miles to Dorchester Heights, overlooking the Boston Harbor and the occupying British army and navy.

        Friday, June 24th, after walking David's and Michelle's dog, Bo, I head for the eastern shore of Lake Sammamish and walk 13.82 miles in 4 hours and 8 minutes. My half-marathon (13.1 miles) time was 3:55.