Here in the U.S., we are enjoying a three-day weekend for Memorial Day. However, it's really not as much joy for me as it is just doing things for others out of love.
The story begins on the morning of Friday, May 23, when my Harley dealer called to say that my new bike was ready to pick up. The boss even let us off work a couple hours early.
I rushed home with the intent to change from my dress clothes to biker duds and go get my new bike! Woo-ee! However, when I got home, personal plans were immediately set aside because my partner wasn't doing very well. He had pulled a muscle in his back a couple weeks ago, and the pain had flared up. Plus, he had promised his mother that we would visit her over the long weekend, which meant that things we had to do around our house before leaving the next day became the priority, and I had to do them. Mow the lawn, do our weekly grocery shopping, and get groceries for my elderly aunt as well. By the time all those chores were completed, it was too late to go to the dealership to get my new bike.
Saturday morning, I drove both of us on the five-hour trip in my truck to my partner's mother's home, instead of my partner driving in his sedan. I drove to relieve my partner of the duty. He was on a muscle relaxant, which means he shouldn't drive. Personally, I hate to drive, especially long distances, but we do what we have to do. Also, since we were going to have my truck available, my partner decided to buy a new mattress to replace the old one on which I slept at his Mom's house. That old mattress caused me to have back spasms. But out of love for me, my partner resolved the problem (though I did most of the heavy lifting.)
My mother-in-law is not the easiest woman to be around. She constantly complains about everything and anything. But we managed to do what had to be done, with me doing all the heavy lifting, gardening, and other manual labor that had to be done. From a positive perspective, I could use the exercise [smile].
Because my partner still was in agony, we left Sunday afternoon and I drove us back. We got home last night, unpacked, did laundry, unwound a little bit, and then went to bed.
Today, Monday, it is bright, warm, and sunny. And I'm still "bike-less." My dealership is closed for the holiday. Today I have the fun of going to get some planting soil and a few other things at the local gardening center, cleaning over 900 square feet of outdoor deck space, and then helping to set up our outdoor deck garden. We can't plant vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini in a regular garden due to the proliferation of deer in our yard which would destroy vegetable plants. So we plant them in containers and put them on the decks that I built ten years ago. This planting routine is usually my partner's activity, as he gets tremendous joy from gardening. However, due to his condition, he can't do it and unless I do it for him. Oh well, being bike-less, I will focus on getting these chores done. My partner will be happy, and when the love of my life is happy, then that's what it's all about.
I hope the weather forecast is wrong, where rain and thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow (Tuesday). If that happens, I won't be able to pick up my new Harley. Worse, I will have to wait until Saturday, because I am in charge of a major event for work which begins on Wednesday and runs through late Friday, and will be held on the other side of the Potomac River in Virginia. Because of the far-away location, I will not be able to get home during the week while the event is going on to get my bike.
They say that sacrifice is good for the soul. I hope it's good for something, 'cause I'm not among the happiest guys while I am still Harley-ticipating and my partner is grouchy and irritable because he's in pain. He can't think straight and it just makes things uncomfortable for me. And to think, it's going to be warm and sunny all day today, and I could have been out riding.... sigh. I'll manage. Meanwhile, off to care for my partner and prevent him from trying to over-do it so he can heal.
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