Thunder And Rain In Dallas

Kayak Morning: 4/18/25

A Cloudy Morning

It's 8:40, and I've been up with Beth for an hour while Evie and Rami sleep in. I was awakened by a tremendous thunderclap around 7:15 and the sound of rain on the windows. It looks like it will stop soon, but not before leaving its legacy: a day in the 60s rather than the 80s.

Friday was another day of coughing, though this morning I sense some progress — the steroids may be working. It's strange to think back on the day, because I can't remember much. It all blurs together: sitting around the living room, occasionally retreating to the bedroom to lie down, taking a nap, reading, stepping out when the coughing started, walking outside. That was my day.

And yet, thinking about it now, we did get things done. Much of the late afternoon was spent with the four of us deciding where to hang the many paintings — works by Rami's sister Patty, as well as those Beth has painted. Four people means four opinions, but we made some progress and will likely make more today. In the early afternoon, after a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a bowl of Beth's soup, we allowed ourselves a guiltily enjoyed episode of Landman.

Evie put together a delicious dinner at 5:00 — chicken thighs and artichokes, with a Caesar salad — while we waited for the movers to deliver a tiger maple table that Beth and Rami had ordered from an Amish craftsman in Chautauqua County, at least twenty to twenty-five years ago. The movers ran late, so we ate and watched the series finale of The Pitt before they arrived. Beth and I had been prepared to put the table in the garage, but to our surprise, the movers managed to get it up into the garage attic. They were capable, pleasant guys. Once that was settled, we finished off the last of the apple pie, did the dishes, and watched another episode of Landman. Evie was exhausted by the end and headed to bed; the three of us watched one more episode before following her. All in all, it turned out to be a fairly productive day — in every respect but my cough.