Hooray!

Here are Laura and Harvey in Oslo, looking very happy indeed. Harvey's work goes on all day, but in the evening there is time to socialize.

Dear family and friends,

Great news! I sat with my legs down (without the camp stool for putting up my feet) at the movie we saw this afternoon, The Adjustment Bureau, with Matt Damon (whom we like from many action and non-action movies). The movie is based on a science fiction story that Merwin read years ago. Did I like it? I was engaged and there were tears in my eyes, but the main thing is that I was able to do it! The first time in months. My legs were bent at the knee from 3:45 to 6:45 without inducing pain, a good sign that the Gabapentin is working!

I started this morning with an additional 100 mg, following the prescription of Dr. O. Before today, I was afraid to take more than the evening 100 mg. because it had such a soporific effect. I may be getting used to the evening pill because this morning I woke up a little before 6 a.m., the usual time—in spite of a 2-hour period of wakefulness with itching problems. Probably because of the additional morning pill, I had a deep afternoon nap. I don't mind that. Of course, while I am sleeping, I am not working! My reading proceeds slowly.

The success of this outing makes me think that maybe I can go to the Columbia Shakespeare Society meeting this Friday! Can I? Dare I? Today I got a press ticket for the British Macbeth that's coming to BAM next month. By total accident, Laury already had a ticket for that same night, so we can go together. How I was going to do it without someone taking me I decided to ignore. Plunge forward! We are also going together to the TFANA Macbeth. The director, Arin Arbus, who was very happy with my review of her Measure for Measure last year is going to be very helpful, providing scripts and the like.

Before Merwin and I left for the movie in Roslyn (free with our Optimum card), I started Merwin's evening meal: 3 chicken cutlets that I had marinated in my salad dressing overnight, a Yukon Gold potato sliced thin, reconstituted dried fancy mushrooms, a few carrot sticks and some frozen baby broccoli . I neglected to find out how long the movie would be, so I was a little low in my estimate of oven temperature (175). But when we got home I ramped it up (400), and by the time we got the table ready, and I prepared my meal, and he had a salad course, the chicken was done. He liked it. "Tasty," he said. Two cutlets with the fixings with go into the freezer.

I am feeling pretty good about the future. One day at a time.

Love to all,
Bernice