Old Dogs and more memories

This is Memorial Day weekend. It is special for so many reasons. Elena and I start new jobs this week, Teri had surgery on this past Tuesday and they kept her over night when it was supposed to be in and out, but she is fine and she says her pain is manageable.

I bought Misha to the vet on Saturday before the parade.I was surprised at how good of a car dog she is considering how she doesn't like new and different. The vet gave her steroids to help with her failing back legs. Athena is over weight and can not get up on the bed. Since Teri's surgery, I pick Athena up and put her on the bed. And Bandi is old and blind. He is less mean since he gone almost blind. I'm afraid we'll lose all three in a short peroid of time. Yesterday for the first time in two years the Memorial Day parade was held. It was overcast and it on and off rained for a while. Teri didn't go, Nastia was at work, so I asked Elena to go with me we get down to the corner. The

crowds are sparse. It is raining after all. Elena and I stand there and watch the parade.It is sparsely attended and it is small parade. There were two bands, both adults. There were no school bands, but the girl scouts, the boy scouts and the little leagues were there. COVID after effects, I guess. Elena talked about being in the parade one year. I reminded her she held the banner for Conger's Elementry school.The school no longer exists, it's now a learning center. About half way through the parade a train stops the back half for about five minutes. Elena had talked about a train coming and crashing into the parade. I did grocery shopping. Teri is not suppose to do any lifting for a while, so after the parade I waited for the rain to stop. Instead it got harder and harder. I told Teri I was not going to go today. We had a little discussion about it, Teri pointing out the sales ended today and I said my ark is in the shop. I got into my car and started towards New City because I think Rt 303 and Rt 59 would be flooded. At the corner of Kings Highway and Congers Rd there is a river, so I turn around. Later around 5PM, I go with Nastia and yes we spend too much money. Heading back I want to drop off the groceries at the house before we go to West Nyack. Nastia said don't, mom would just say not to go, so we went to both ShopRites looking for dog food and yes Teri did ask "Why it took so long?" and say, "I told you not to go to both, and did you find any?"

Once a long time ago I came home in a bad mood. I didn't know it and I have told the story several times. The girls were going for a walk, dinner was almost ready. I told them not to go. Elena, in retrospect must have been in a bad mood too because she verbally came at me and she doesn't know how to back away. I guess it is a defensive mechanism when she was helpless in the orphanage. A 'never again' thing and I guess that is were the gym comes in too. The night I had to resist with all my might for putting her through a wall. Sunday, she come home from her last day at ShopRite, changes and went out. From upstairs Teri yells down "She didn't vacuum her room!" I said, "call her." Teri replys,"you." Without a thought, I do. In our conversation, I don't get angry. I've menationed why. She keeps saying she'll do it when she gets home. I keep telling her she was suposed to do it before and needs to come back and do it. She gets angry and tells Matt. "Turn around, so he'll shut up." I felt the angry boil inside me. She'd said something to me deeply disrespectful and I knew the best place for me was not to be there when she came home, I call to Teri, "I'm going for a drive." She asked why and I tell her. I rush out of teh house forgetting my phone and my hat. As I'm leave hoping I'm hoping I don't pass her on the road. I drive down South Conger Road until the end not knowing where I'm going, I remember Teri wants Potato salad from Valley Cottage Deli. I go there to get it and a sandwich for me. I visit my mother until I'm sure she is gone. At this point I think I am doing a good thing. I really don't want to get angry at her and possibly​ put her through a wall. I think I have done the smart prudent thing until Wednesday three days later when Elena says what I think is a very disrespectful thing to Teri and I come into the kitchen where she is and tell her so. Teri asks me,"Why do you hate her so?" I am so angry at that question, I turn around walk out and throw my shoes down into the cellar. I hear Teri say something about sticking a knife in an eye and I turn around and storm into the kitchen and tell her to do it and get it over with and storm out. I turn around and tell her, "I assume you were talking about me" and leave. We both do our best to get past the event. Lately we've been pretty good together. Elena starts her new job at the tire place in New City on Thursday. Maybe she is up tight about it. I'll never know because she'll never tell. Either way she came home tonight and said she had a good day and they asked her to change tires and to drive a couple of standard shift cars into the bays. She said she didn't know how to drive standard. I wish I had a car to teach her. /