Date Day

We had planned to go to the Labor Day Lift Off in the Springs on Saturday for the balloon glow, when they light the balloons up at dusk but don't fly. We went for this event last year, but that was back when Lizard was still having horrific hallucinations, and we weren't able to stay long enough to photograph the balloons reflecting in the lake as planned.

We checked the Colorado Springs weather forecast Saturday morning, and it wasn't looking promissing. We often joke about being the jinx at any balloon festival. We once went to Albuquerque for four days, hoping the balloons would go up at least one day, and high winds cancelled all four days, as well as a fifth, had we been able to stay. This often happens at any balloon festival we try to attend. We don't do it much anymore because road trips are so hard on Lizard, but the Springs are so close, comparatively, I do try to go for at least one event each year if he's feeling up to it. Thank heavens he loves balloons as much as I do. He often will sacrifice comfort to try to make it through just one launch or one glow. (Tomorrow's photos are from previous years; Lizard did not feel up to a road trip yesterday for the final day of the Lift Off.)

Lizard kept asking me if we could have caffeine, which he takes for tremors. Caffeine would make me tremor for hours, but for whatever reason, it has the opposite affect on people with Parkinson's. Some patients even have caffeine prescriptions. I tried to encourage Lizard to wait until evening for his high-octane caffeine beverage, which actually helps him sleep, and he kept asking if WE could have caffeine. After about 15 minutes of a conversation I felt was going nowhere, it dawned on me he was asking for Café Rio, one of his favorite restaurants. We haven't gone out to eat much at all since I retired, thanks to the expense but compounded by his anxiety and claustrophobia in the car. Since it looked like the balloon glow was going to be a bust, I thought it might be fun to treat him. Off we headed to Castle Rock, which once every month or two was our "date day" on Saturdays before I retired.

We ate half our chicken (his) and veggie (mine) bowls in the restaurant, which we rarely did back before retirement. We would take it home to eat, or eat in the car in the shade if the weather wasn't too hot. This beautiful Saturday afternoon, eating in the restaurant was very peaceful. We arrived just before 4, and the restaurant wasn't packed like usual. There were only two other diners. We didn't sit under the air conditioner, which really bothered Lizard the last time we ate in, and the music wasn't too loud this time.

The day was sort of like date night. The whole day, actually. Lizard was considerate of me. That was missing this time last week. (He had shut me out of the bedroom because he thought I was a hallucination. He wanted his best friend back as much as I long for mine.) He doesn't often realize I have feelings anymore, and in my burst of grief (after I finally got him to sleep), I cried myself to sleep, then felt guilty the next morning for being so selfish. Saturday was a complete turnaround. I know moments like these are extremely fleeting, but Saturday was so special, and I so needed it. I had prayed to see a glimpse of my best friend again, and that's exactly what I got. I want to shout from the rooftops that Lizard was back for a day.

After we got home, I laid on the love seat because my back was so sore. Lizard tried to cover me with my fleece. He did think the homeless people he thinks are living in our house rent-free had peed on it, so he wanted to wash it first. Then he asked it if was mine because he thought someone else was using it, but he wanted to make me comfortable. That was such an awesome moment. Gigantic. This is the guy I married, and he came back to me for a few minutes. It was precious. Thank you, God, for giving me back my sweetheart for a few precious hours!

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