So...........Dad sprained his ankle last week and has been complaining of the pain every day since. He moans at almost every step. Groans whenever he puts weight on it. Winces at every turn. Retires earlier than normal so he can simply go to sleep rather than think about the pain. All of that being the everyday SOP (standard operating procedure) for nearly a week now.........until today. Specifically, until this afternoon.
Some people take pain killers. Some people drink. Some people use drugs. Some people eat chocolate. My father watches the Seattle Storm play (and defeat) Phoenix in the WNBA playoff game and magically, he is pain-free. Infused with the narcotic of professional women's sports, he lies on his bed, Sennheiser earphones firmly in place over his left hearing-aided-ear and right non-functional ear, LCD TV displaying in glorious flat-panel color, Dad focused intently (and ONLY) on the thrill of watching competitive women's basketball. From the living room we can hear Dad cheer Sue Bird and her teammates on after each Seattle score. We stroll down the hall to his bedroom to sneak a peak at him from time to time. Like a schoolboy screaming enthusiastically at his favorite team, Dad pumps his fists (yes, BOTH fists) every time the Storm takes the lead.
"SHOOT!" he shouts.
"Three points! Shoot it! Shoot it!!" he shouts louder.
The real "high" comes when the Storm finally proves victorious "with 23 seconds to go!" Dad is on his feet and not (I repeat, NOT, holding on to his walker at all) and filling the entire house with the euphoric pride of a devoted fan.
"Did you see that Sue Bird?! What a player!!" Then a short pause, and then......."Terr-IF-ic!" Grinning from ear to ear. The biggest smile I've seen on Dad's face in......well, in at least a week.
For those of you who have kept track, I have, from time to time, thanked several seemingly obscure entities for unknowingly contributing to my parents' ongoing welfare and sanity--Horsey's political cartoons in the Seattle PI; Maureen Dowd's editorial in the Seattle Times; Julia Roberts and her....well, whatever; cottage cheese with chives; CostCo; MochaMix. (A while back, I made a point of thanking the Chilean blueberry farmers so that Mom can enjoy blueberries on her Grape-Nuts even in the dead of the PNW winter.)
And now I can add one more simple pleasure to that list.
Today, Sue Bird and her team made an ailing 94 year old man very, VERY, happy. Thank you Sue Bird. Looking forward to the next game.
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