I’ll take “Good Reasons” for $200 Alex

A Perfect Valentine’s Day 2010

Buzzzzz! : What is a benefit of having a cardiac surgery cancelled?
I had one doozy of a Valentine’s Day today; in fact it was perfect.

We started the day with coffee and German Apple Pancakes. Just before Christmas we bought a pretty fancy coffee grinder. In fact, it cost over $200, but it grinds coffee efficiently and well. We now grind our beans all the time and yes, fresh ground tastes better. And, we made a really tasty oven baked “German” pancake with Granny Smith Apples: Perfectly sweet, perfectly tart and perfectly decadent.

Then it was off to the church where my wife was working with a new pianist / organist. That went well, and yet again the priest told the congregation about my surgery. I think at one time I would have felt a bit embarrassed and self conscious about that, but now I take it as a further confirmation that I can absorb positive energy from my Higher Power in many ways.

I mentioned a few sessions ago that I was not using salt at the table at all , but today, I stepped back from that. My wife and I went to a fish restaurant “Lapointes” in Kanata and we both had fish and chips and I PUT SALT ON MY FRIES. The fish and chips were wonderful and I am glad that we did this. Everything that I have read about cardio rehab (and I have a lot to learn) states that there are no forbidden foods; there are foods to avoid and what I had today falls in that category. But, I decided to knowingly indulge today and I am glad that I did.

Being Valentines Day , what have I missed? Chocolate? No , that comes later, we need a romantic opera and we got that in the form of L’eslisir d’amore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L). The narrator was, wait for it, Bob Rae himself. He even got a funny line it about prorogation. The role of Nemorino, the love sick peasant, was admirably song by my cardiac surgeon (and he even recognized me). It truly was a magnificent way to spend a Sunday Valentines Day Afternoon. What’s more, the money earned from the event went to Ottawa L’Arche. http://www.larche.ca/en/communities/ottawa

Since it was a celebration day we went out for a meal yet again. This time to Chinatown (which maybe should be called Pacifica for all the nationalities) for Pho. Never mind how much sodium is in the thing. Think about the bean sprouts and the fresh basil !

We were at home by six and it is nice that even at six, it is not totally dark anymore at all. The sun is rushing back to its summer height. We are not done eating yet – at home more coffee and a lemon pie that we baked yesterday.

My wife went on to watch the Olympics and do some work, while I put on the iPod and sat by the fireplace with a cat or two and finished reading Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle”. It is a book about love under the most dysfunctional and pragmatic and wonderful and horrible and enabling and isolating and hardening and encouraging and frustrating but certainly not boring conditions. It is the Glass Menagerie meets Desert Solitude meets to Kill a Mockingbird meets Oliver Twist with the Book of Job and the Story of Jonah thrown in.

And my wife suddenly tells me that Canada has finally broken the No Gold Curse - Alexandre Bilodeau has won a medal in Moguls. I am no expert on any of this, but I do know that he has a brave gutsy brother – Fredric. Alexandre has said all along that his brother is his inspiration. I cannot think of a better pair coming through for Canada , on this day of love.

I go to the car to get a frozen Kit Kat candy bar and my wife and I share that. The best part of the day is that I was able to share all of this with my wife. I love her for just being. She blunts the tough times and makes the good times soar. That happens every day, but it is so much more intense on a day like today.

A perfect Saint Valentine’s Day – so thank you to the little person that got sick so your daddy could take care of you last Monday so I could enjoy this day.