A three "P" day.

We have started a new activity in our family during this football season. It's called a 3P Sunday. Pajamas, Packer game, and Pizza! (Or pork roast and potato balls if it takes place around a holiday! ;-)) The girls come over with their boyfriends, and lately with Marcus and Victor, the Grand kitties in tow. We sit around and eat snacks, drink a little beer...well, Mike and Ted do anyway, and watch the game. Now, I usually irritate everyone by NOT sitting for very long as I continue follow my urge to putter incessantly. But yesterday I used the fact that this was to be our last 3P day until pre-season begins in August, and our last dinner together before Rachel left in the morning, to sit my butt down and focus on the game! We kept the mood up-beat despite the difficult time we were all having keeping Rachel's leaving in the back of our minds, and the lack of any significant offense on the part of the Packers for the majority of the game.
Before the kids arrived, I ran 8 plus miles outside. I couldn't resist the bright sun, the dry roads, and the temp reaching almost 20 degrees! I dressed in 4 layers, wore one hat and two hoods into the wind, and 2 pairs of gloves with hand warmers. I was comfortable....YEAH! Until he pain in my hips and pelvis started at mile 4, but my pace improved, and I just continue to ignore. A few hours latter, my plan to park it during the game was made easier by the pain. It seemed worse than usual, and I let myself slide into my funk...and the 4th "P" that I repeatedly call the "pity party". If it hurts this bad now, what is it going to be like in a few months when training becomes more intense? Does it hurt this much because I KNOW it's arthritis and the sports med doc suggests no running? The power of suggestion is a powerful thing indeed!
We said good bye to Rachel this morning. Mike will be driving her there, and I'm comforted by the fact that he is with her for the next few days. There were tears, of course. They've been coming off and on all day. I went to work for an hour, and then had to go for my MRI of the spine. Scanning the entire spine required me to lay still on my back for two hours. It wasn't too bad until the last half hour, my pelvis and hips were NOT happy! I needed help off the table, but once I got moving the pain eased.
It's funny, for some reason the fact that I have this AVM on my spinal cord...while it concerns me, I just can't get my mind around it. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. My brain will not allow it any deeper then a superficial thought secondary to emotional overload. I attend to Rachel's leaving, and the pain with running. Those are easy stimuli to react to. I'll deal with the rest when I need to.
Two things brought me out of the cloudy funk. The first, speaking with a co-worker who is going through a pretty difficult time right now. We shared a hug and a few tears. We agreed it was an emotional day for both of us. Again I was reminded that we ALL face challenges and situations that require us to play the hand we are dealt. I also felt anger that this lovely person got a particularity crappy hand, and I was angry at my self for staying at my own pity party for too long.
Then I received a hand-written letter in today's mail from Rachel. It was written to Mike and I, and as I read it, my tears became sobs. I simply couldn't believe how I could be so blessed! She thanked us for supporting her, for being great parents, and for being her friend. There was so much love in her words and the letter was written so eloquently...well...there are no words to convey how I felt reading this. The timing was perfect...and I felt that perfect bliss yet again.
The Packers won the game. They are in the playoffs as a wild card team! The perfect end to our last 3P Sunday!! :-)
Enjoy this day!