Father's Day 2020

Life has settled into a pattern here beyond the Palisades (stolen from a Billy Joel Song sorta). The four of us work more than we did before COVID ( with an unemployment rate between 15% and 20%?). I still thank God that we all have our jobs even though some of us really despise their's. I'd say who, but with my vast readership I don't want the company to find out.  ( yes, it's a joke, I have two loyal readers, thank you and one of them isn't even my mother.)
The other day was father's day. I felt bad for doing a really poor mother's day. I'd planned a brunch, but didn't think to tell the girls to be free that morning so it never came off. When Nastia comes to me and said her ex-boyfriend's Aunt had asked her to babysit on Saturday and Sunday I said nothing was going on, it was OK. I planned to have tacos for dinner, but I thought she'd be home in time. Elena would get out of work early in the day, about two and Nastia worked until five. On Sunday morning when I realized what I'd done, I get angry at myself, so Nastia volunteers to tell David's Aunt she couldn't make it. The Grandparents were there so it should be no big deal.
During a hot (85-90 degree) and humid day I work outside off and on. I'd taken a fall a few days earlier going down the small wet grassy hill on the north side lot of our house my left foot goes out forward, while my right stayed in place. I go down and sat on my heel. I tried to roll off it because it just doesn't feel like that it is a good thing. So now my left knee formly the bad knee is the good knee and also suddenly I feel really old when I get up out of a chair and walk around or go up and down stairs. It's gotten better but on Sunday my legs get tired quickly.
Teri and Nancy get back home to going swimming. I go and sit up on the deck to watch.

Elena gets home around two and goes in also. After she is wet she decides she needs to push me in. We wrestle on the deck, I'm just barely holding my own. After a while of this Teri says someone is going to get hurt. She also suggests I go put on my bathing suit. I leave to put on my suit. When I  came back I climb the ladder and start down the steps slowly, it's early in the year and the water is still cold. I've gotten to the point of sitting on the ladder when Elena decides I've taken enough time to get in and gets behind me and starts pushing. I'm fighting a losing battle, so I let go. It cold, but live able. I lean on a float my arms wrapped around it, my feet and body in the water and float around dodging Elena's attempts to push me off. She is in high spirits this day and it is nice too see her so free and happy. Finally I grab her when she swims toward me. I get her around the waist and flip her legs into the air. I don't want her to panic, so I go to flip her over. Those damn long legs of her's go and smack down on the side of the pool. I hate it when Teri's right. Elena comes up quickly limping in the water. I ask her if she is ok, She'd say she is fine. Even if her leg is hanging by a string she'd say that. I ask to look at her ankle. She brings the hurt one to the surface and my heart sinks The ankle bone on the side is pointing out real sharply. I'm thinking what Teri says, it's broken. I ask to see the other one. It's exactly the same as the first, she's just got sharp ankle bones, thank god. She says she'll just walk it off. Teri mockingly walks around with her head held high because all day long she has been warning us to be careful  because someone could get hurt and now that I hurt Elena I've proven her right again.
After all the excitement people start to get out and eventually it is just Teri and I. Elena has volunteered to take Nancy home so Teri is on the deck and I'm still floating in the water. It's near five when Nastia is to finish work. I feel bad that she has missed out on swimming. I wait in the water. When the sun goes behind a cloud, it get chilly, it warms a few chilly minutes later when it reappears. About quarter after five she gets home and comes and sits on the deck. I ask her if she wants to come swimming, she says no, so I start to get out. She quickly changes her mind and runs off to put on her bathing suit. She comes back, dips a toe in the water and says it is freezing. She takes a step down the ladder and motions for the raft. I slide a spare dry raft to her. She kneels on it, giving a slight gasp as the cold water flows around her calves. She adjusts to the water and I float her around the pool while I'm leaning on my raft and try to keep us both in the late afternoon sun. Every so often I can't resist the temptation to float her over near the filter where water splashes slightly up onto the raft. When it is time to get out I get bad and instead of letting her get out dry I pick her up in my arms and drop her into the pool keeping her hair dry as she requested. I know I'm so mean sometimes, but it's a pool. She calls me mean in good humor as she walks around the pool warming up. Elena comes back from taking Nancy home and earlier in the day I'd warned Elena about Karma, so I ask her if she remembers karma as I splash her. It is a good day all around.
The four of us go inside to have tacos. The three most important people in the world to me have reminded me just how important they are to me.















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